Little bits
by boombamfirepower
Summary: Cute little AoS one-shots. Mostly Philinda. Leave me prompts in reviews and I'll do my best to write them
1. Tradition

A/N: I just binge-watched all episodes of AoS in less than two weeks….probably not a good idea but totally worth not sleeping.

I don't have a tumblr, so reply with any one shots you'd like to see and I'll do my best to write them.

Most of these will be Philinda centered, but I'm willing to do other stuff as well.

Anyways, Enjoy!

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Phil Coulson had a habit of daydreaming.

It started when he was a kid, in school, when he would sit at his desk and look out the windows, watching the rain pour on the sidewalk below or the wind knock around the trees.

It didn't end when he joined SHIELD. If anything, the large windows of the academy only made it easier to gaze out and lose himself.

It surprised him when his teachers didn't seem to mind, but he guessed it was only because of his grades. In fact, he supposed that if he hadn't done so well in school, his day dreaming problem may have gotten him in trouble.

Becoming Director of SHIELD only meant less time to daydream. He was always running errands, seemingly trying to repair what had been lost. But, in all honesty, it was like trying to repair a broken eggshell. There was no going back, no return to glory. Now, life was about building something a little different.

Daydreaming while he was supposed to be building said agency was a big no-no.

But the paperwork on his desk was so boring that he found himself nodding off without even realizing it. He was exhausted. Sleepless nights were making it hard to focus. He didn't even notice that May was standing in his office doorway.

"You look beat." Her soft comment startled him. His elbow slid off his desk, as though he didn't look enough like a fool in front of her.

"Melinda, hey." He looked up at her, fighting the blush rising up in his cheeks. He rubbed his elbow with a frown.

"I was sent to grab the acquisition forms from you, but something tells me they aren't done?" She smirked at his expression. Her smile fell, however, when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Director-"

"Don't." He silenced her and began rifling through the papers on his desk, looking for the forms she had requested.

"Phil-" He looked up at her with a glare that made her stop in her tracks, and even take a step back. "You're exhausted."

He found the papers and grabbed a pen, ignoring her comment.

"You're a stubborn jackass, you know that?" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him as he quickly filled out the form.

"May, I'm working." He replied dismissively.

"No, you're falling asleep at your desk." She leaned on her right side and folded her arms across her chest. "Let me help you." She gestured with her head to the stack of paperwork.

"I don't need help." He finished the forms and handed them to her. She took them, but didn't leave. "May-"

"What's going on with you?" She replied softly, watching him intently with dark eyes. He sighed, knowing by the tightness of her jaw that she wasn't going to leave until he said something worthwhile.

"It's a lot," He said simply, "re-establishing SHIELD. I feel like I'm always drowning in paperwork." He massaged the bridge of his nose. "I can't remember the last time I slept."

She watched him a moment, thinking. "Maybe I could help you." He looked at her, mildly surprised. "I can't exactly help you run SHIELD, but the least I could do is help you with all of this."

She felt a little victorious when a small smile spread across his face.

"Phil," she stepped forward and lay a tender hand on his shoulder,"get some sleep. I'll take over for a few hours."

He stood from his chair and stretched, hours of not moving taking its toll on his muscles and joints. He moved over to the couch in the corner.

Almost as soon as his head hit the soft fabric, he was out like a light.

He was woken up by an annoying beeping noise nearby. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly with a frown. He knew that beeping. After glancing around a moment, he noticed his phone sitting on the ground next to the couch-alarm chiming. He picked it up and turned it off, noting that the timer had been set for five hours.

With a smile creeping at the corner of his mouth, he stood from the couch and moved over to his desk, where the paperwork had been completed and organized neatly. In the center of the desk, a small tray sat, containing a sandwich, a bowl of fruit and a glass of water.

Next to it was a small note that read:

 _Let me help you more often. -M_

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A/N: I own nothing!


	2. Lola

A/N: Based off a picture I saw on Pinterest. Enjoy!

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"Are you sure about this?" They seemed to freeze, the reality of what they were doing becoming heavy at Jemma's words.

"So now you start doubting it?" Fitz shot back, glancing at her from his position with a dorky smile.

"I mean, we could get in a loooot of trouble." Daisy replied, although the fact that she was playing on her phone took away the seriousness of her words. She leaned casually against the door, feeling rebellious just at the action.

"He's going to kill all of us." Mack shook his head with a frown. He watched them move around and get into position, all the while shaking his head.

"What are you all doing?" They froze, faces flushed and ice running through their hearts in fear. Each of them slowly turned to look at May, who was watching them with one raised eyebrow.

Daisy stood erect, her butt now off the driver side car door. Fitz tried to get out of the passenger seat, but stumbled and was just barely caught by Jemma, who had been leaning against the passenger door. Mack sat on the trunk, boot-clad feet resting in the seats, not even trying to make a run for it.

"Why are you messing with Lola?" May rested her hands on her hips, waiting expectantly for an explanation.

They looked to one another, unsure of how best to proceed.

"We-we wanted to take a picture in it-her. You know, to send to Coulson." Jemma stuttered out.

"We just thought-well we-" Daisy couldn't think of a good explanation, not with the way May was frowning at them.

Melinda said nothing for a moment, which made them grow more and more anxious as each second ticked by.

"Hey Anderson!" she called out to an agent, who was unloading several crates into the garage. The kids watched her, unsure of what she was doing.

"Yes ma'am?" The agent came over.

"Daisy, your phone?"

"W-what?" Said girl looked up, startled at having been addressed.

"Your phone." May looked over at her, palm outstretched expectantly. When Daisy hesitated, she sighed. "You wanted a picture right?"

Daisy looked to the others and nodded furiously, handing her phone eagerly to the agent.

"Take a photo, will you?" May handed it to him. She then looked back over to the kids and said with a smirk, "I call shotgun."

As much as the newly-appointed Director Coulson hated airports, the thing he actually hated was standing in line. Now that he was jetsetting across the world, recruiting, he found himself in way too many airports to count. As the attendant began calling rows, he stood from his spot and grabbed his bag to join his fellow passengers in the boarding line. Deep in his pocket, he felt his phone vibrate.

With a frown, he lifted out his cell and opened an attachment, sent to him by May. She was the only one, besides Bill Keonig, who had his direct line.

He opened it, and was at first a little confused as to why they thought sitting in Lola was okay.

However, he found himself smiling. And why shouldn't he? What with Jemma and Daisy leaning casually against the side of the car, Melinda in the driver's seat, Fitz in the passenger side and Mack sitting on the truck, all beaming back at him with goofy, middle-of-laughter smiles.

It made his heart ache, and he fought every instinct to run out of the airport and join them at home for a movie night. He only had one more trip, a few more days until he got to see them again.

He could forgive them sitting in his car. He missed them too damn much to care.

 _Come home soon. -M_


	3. Yes Ma'am

_I wonder how many times I have said 'SHIT' in the last five minutes._

Phil couldn't help but smirk at that thought.

"What are you smiling about?!" Fitz yelped, ducking behind the table they were currently using as a shield. Bullets roared around them, hitting the wall around the edges of the table.

It was _supposed_ to be a routine mission, but as the SHIELD team could have guessed, it went horribly wrong. Now Fitz and Coulson were currently hiding behind a table, getting shot at by a machine gun situated across the street. Daisy was nowhere to be seen, and Simmons, May, and Mack were still an hour out. Comms had gone out five minutes ago, blocked out by a device somewhere in the god-forsaken town they were in.

What had started out as a three-man mission to retrieve an 0-8-4 led them to an abandoned mining town in the middle- of-nowhere Michigan. It should have been suspicious, but it wasn't until the local police had been gunned down by Hydra that Coulson realized it was a trap.

They barely made it to cover before a stream of bullets began peppering the building.

So much had happened in the last few minutes that Coulson was still reeling from the events. He tried focusing, trying to find a plan, but they were still being shot at. They were pinned down.

Suddenly, the gunfire stopped.

Phil risked a glance over the edge of the table and sighed in relief when he saw Daisy across the street, waving through the windows of where the machine gun had been situated. Coulson nudged Fitz and the two stood up from their hiding place.

Daisy moved away from the window and a moment later, their comms opened up.

"Phil!"

Coulson sighed in relief and smiled at May's familiar tone. "We're okay."

"Good. We are five minutes out. Stay low till we can get you out of there."

"Yes ma'am." He replied with a smile, knowing it would drive her nuts. "Come on." He directed towards Fitz. They left the building and moved out into the street to meet up with Daisy.

"Sorry," she shrugged, "I was outnumbered. Took some time."

The roaring of the plane could be heard in the distance. They found themselves smiling in relief as it touched down on the edge of the town, and ran to meet the others as the hydraulic door opened.

Simmons and Fitz collided in a hug, Daisy moved in to meet Mack with a fist bump. The only person missing was May, who was most likely still in the cockpit. His theory was proven correct when the doors began to close and the plane began its takeoff procedure.

They had a thing, him and Melinda. He knew she would be waiting in his office.

It was the same after every hardcore mission-when they were being shot at, or when they were kidnapped.

He made his way to his office slowly, feeling an ache in his arm from a bullet that had grazed his left bicep. Once he entered, he took a breath and shut the door, sighing in relief at the quiet.

"You look like hell."

Lo and behold, he was right. She was waiting for him, leaning against his desk. The plane must have been on autopilot.

He smiled and moved into the center of the room. They were only a few feet apart now.

She closed the distance, wrapping her arms around his midsection. He responded in kind, enveloping her in a hug.

This was their tradition. Whenever they got shot at, whenever things got hairy, this was their grounding moment. This was what anchored them back to reality. It calmed their nerves, their worries. It was without words, just silence. Proof that they were alive and okay.

"You're bleeding." May had pulled away and frowned at the hole in his jacket. "Sit." She gestured with her head to his chair and he knew better than to object.

While she grabbed the first aid kit in his desk, he removed his jacket and silk shirt, so the only thing left was his white undershirt.

There was silence while she worked, her face emotionless. He watched her, the little furrow in her brow telling him just how hard she was thinking. When she was done, she put the first aid kit away.

"May," he called her back before she could leave, "I'm okay."

"You better be." Her gaze softened, and she gave him the tiniest of smiles before leaving him alone in his office. She paused in the hallway, however. "Oh and Phil," his head jerked up with a smile, "don't ever call me 'ma'am' again."

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It came to my attention that this chapter had wonky formatting. I hope it's fixed now. I own nothing. Boomie out.


	4. Roger

A/N: Inspired by the fact that my mom recently got a great dane and the dog is already 35 pounds at only 10 weeks old. I own nothing! Enjoy!

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Melinda May was not a person easily caught off guard.

This was especially true while checking in on inhumans. After what she saw in their quest to take down Jaiying and Gordon, plus Bahrain, very little truly surprised her anymore. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or bad.

This day was an exception.

When Coulson told the team they were going to check up on an asset currently on the index, their immediate reaction was excitement, having never really interacted with index members before. In fact, they were so pumped about it that they all waited in the cargo area as they touched down, just so they could get off quickly.

What they didn't expect was touching down in the middle of a field, the only building a small shack in the distance. Daisy squinted in the sunlight, and then turned to Coulson to see what the hell was going on. He seemed unbothered by the lack of both buildings and people. In fact, he just glanced at his watch and then shoved his hands in his pockets, as though waiting for something.

"You sure we're in the right place?" Melinda stepped up to stand by his side, seemingly just as confused as the rest of them.

As though drawn out by her words, a blur came flying out of nowhere.

"What the hell is that?" Fitz squinted. "May-"

Melinda didn't have time to react. She was suddenly being pinned to the ground, held hostage by a lolling tongue and paws the size of her hand. The dog, easily heavier than her, staggered back a bit when she lifted herself up into a sitting position. However, he parked himself on her outstretched legs, not letting her up. That big ass tongue swiped her cheek, leaving a large wet mark on the side of her face.

Phil fought laughter, as did the others.

"Looks like you made a friend, Agent May." Jemma sniggered.

"BRUTUS!" A young girl, easily Daisy's age, stomped her way across the field, seemingly appearing from nowhere. She put her hands on her hips. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"

The dog, realizing it was in deep trouble, went sprinting back over to her.

"Georgina." Phil called as she walked over to them, a small smile on his face. "It's good to see you."

"Phil." They shook hands and then her dark brown eyes looked over to the others. "Is this your team? It's nice to meet you all." She met May's eyes, which were still narrowed in both embarrassment and irritation. "Sorry about Brutus. He gets excited. Come on in. You guys hungry?"

She turned, expecting them to follow. They followed, albeit confused as to where they were going. She seemed likeable enough, with dark skin and wavy brown hair. Her manner was easy going in a way that reminded them of Coulson just a bit.

They walked towards the tree line for a bit. As if by magic, a house appeared, as though some invisible sheet had been lifted off it. It was a white, antebellum mansion, complete with a small shed in the side yard. Brutus trotted over to the shed and disappeared through a doggy door.

"Force field." She shrugged, as though that explained everything.

Coulson didn't seem surprised, as per usual, but the others stopped to stare at the house in amazement and confusion. They jogged to catch up with Phil, who waited for them on the porch.

"So when did Brutus join the family?" He asked as they entered the house. She led them to the kitchen, where she had been cutting fruit for salad.

"One of my friends found Brutus and his girlfriend a couple of months ago and asked me to take them in. Helia gave birth to puppies a week ago. They're in the shed if you want to go see."

"Puppies?" Jemma looked at Fitz, excitedly, and he practically melted.

"Puppies." The two of them went running out to the shed, Mack following at a slower pace with a smile on his face. May and Daisy cast a glance at one another, and then followed them out to see what the fuss was all about.

"Oh my gosh!" They could hear Jemma's squeal from out in the yard.

"Careful, don't squish them!" Mack insisted.

When Daisy and May entered the shed, they found Jemma on the floor, surrounded by squiggly worms already the size of footballs. Helia, the mom, was watching her skeptically, but she didn't mind much when the scientist picked up one of the boys and cradled him in her arms. Daisy could see, just from the look on the girl's face that she was totally in love. The one she picked up was a brindle, like her mother. Daisy scooped up the smallest of the litter, another brindle with a white spot on her forehead. After wriggling a bit, the puppy fell asleep against her chest.

"May, you have to hold them! They're so cute!" Daisy exclaimed, looking at May with a happy smile. She was happier than May had ever seen her.

"I'm good, thanks." May replied dismissively. Despite her objection, she found a puppy being shoved into her hands by Mack, of all people.

Although she initially wanted to set it back to the ground, she found herself holding onto the little boy as his nose pressed against her neck and he fell sleep. As if that weren't enough, Brutus came over and plopped on her foot, keeping her in place for the time being.

"I see you guys have made friends." Coulson had come up behind her without her noticing, and leaned against the doorframe, watching them. Well, mostly Melinda.

"I want all of them." Jemma looked at him with pleading eyes. "Can we please take one home?"

"Yeah that's not happening." Mack shot back before Coulson could reply. "You do know what kind of dog that is, right?" He watched them look at one another questioningly. "They're Great Danes. These guys get up to like 200 pounds."

"Don't let that fool you." Georgina came to stand next to Coulson in the doorway. "They're total lap dogs. Brutus spends most of the day sleeping."

"Aww come on, AC." Daisy pleaded with him. "Let your kids get a dog."

He smiled sadly and shook his head. "Sorry guys. Not my call."

Daisy and Jemma groaned, but kissed their respective furballs and set them back near their mother. Coulson helped remove the one now latched onto May, and set him on the floor with the others. Brutus, as though realizing his captive was leaving, pushed his head into her abdomen and leaned into her, almost knocking her over. Coulson's hand on her lower back was the only thing that kept her from falling back.

Goodbyes were short and sad, Jemma and Daisy still grumpy that they couldn't keep the dog. They sent Coulson glares behind his back, like two children. He ignored them as they loaded up the plane.

 _One Month Later_

"No way." Daisy huffed in excitement, having just entered the kitchen.

Jemma, who beat her there, had squealed loudly, gathering the attention of the others who came running. Mack had come in in pajamas, one sock on.

"Are you kidding me?" Mack shook his head, a slow smile spreading across his face.

Yoyo, who had decided to spend the night, frowned and looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. "Is that-is that what I think it is?"

In his office, Phil Coulson smiled a bit to himself as Melinda came to his side. He was watching the kitchen security feed, watching them crowd around a small dog bed resting on the kitchen floor.

"I can't believe you got them a dog." Melinda shook her head, tone disapproving.

"At least it's not a great dane." He replied. "I've always liked pugs. Smart dogs, and cute."

She just looked at him, one raised eyebrow.

"It's nice to see them happy, Melinda." He insisted, pleading with her to understand. She must have, because she sighed and squeezed his arm.

"I guess that's true." She responded. And then she smiled, an actual smile, and glanced back at the feed where Daisy was now sitting on the floor with the dog. "Welcome to the family, Roger."

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A/N: GET IT? ROGER? I thought it was cute...


	5. Piano Man

A/N: I'm back with another one shot! Got this prompt off pinterest.

 _"His fingers glided over the keys and whispered notes drifted from the piano in the corner of the room."_

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Melinda sat back against her chair, drinking in the cool breeze blowing in through the open French door. White curtains swayed with the spring breeze, and the small cafe seemed aglow with natural light. The talk of the room was nothing more than a low buzz, usually accompanied by quiet piano music. However, today, the pianist was nowhere to be seen.

Chocolate eyes glanced around the room, analyzing everything from the artwork on the walls to the total number of exits. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Coulson weave around people, making his way toward her with a cup of coffee and one of green tea for her. She smiled her thanks and he sat down across the table from her.

"Anything?" She murmured, picking up her cup and tasting the tea.

"Not that I can tell." He replied, just as softly. He glanced to the book next to her on the table. "That any good?"

She hummed in reply as he picked it up and scanned the back cover.

 _"He's here. Just walked in the front door."_ Daisy's voice whispered over their earpieces. " _And for god sakes, you're supposed to be married. Act like it."_

She was teasing of course, but May still shot Phil a look of exasperation.

He either didn't notice or pretended not to. "He's got quite the entourage." He murmured it both to Melinda, and to Daisy, who was still listening in. "You getting this?" The man they were tracking had at least five men around him, all in dark suits. It was quite a contrast from the serene bed and breakfast they were currently in. However, since he owned the building, no one mentioned a thing.

That is why they were here, because they suspected he was hiding weapon stores under the building in the old basement, and selling them to Hydra (or whomever was the highest bidder). The tracker, currently embedded in Melinda's ring, would let them know where his meeting location was. The problem was getting close enough to plant it on him.

 _"Yeah, i'm running facial recognition on his posse now, but it'll take me a second. Your best bet is to try to get him away from the group to put the tracker on him."_

"Well, how are we supposed to do that?" Phil grumbled.

"Daisy said he was a classical music aficionado." Melinda replied, sitting up a little straighter as she remembered something she had taken note of earlier. "There's a piano in the corner."

"No." He replied, jaw tight.

"Oh come on. It's been ages." She pleaded with a smile, squeezing his hand over the table.

He looked at her with narrowed eyes, but relented. He could never say no to her.

He got up rather reluctantly, a blush rising up from his collar. He hated being put on the spot, especially when he hadn't played in years. He felt like the entire room was watching him as he neared the small piano. Even though there weren't many people in the cafe, he still felt like it was a crowd of hundreds.

" _What's he doing?"_ Daisy asked incredulously.

"Just listen." Melinda replied back.

His fingers glided over the keys and whispered notes drifted from the piano in the corner of the room. After a few quiet starting notes, the melody of the Clair de Lune began sweeping through the cafe, carried by the spring breeze. Several people perked up, watching him with curiosity. As the melody played on, it brought with it a dreamy atmosphere that seemed to calm the room.

 _"Wow."_ Daisy breathed. It startled Melinda, who had been listening intently. _"I didn't know he could play."_

"He tried to teach me at the academy, but I got impatient with it." Melinda replied, smiling despite herself. He seemed so natural up there.

His playing seemed to also catch the attention of their target. When the song was complete, he walked up to the piano and began talking in quiet tones with Phil, leaving his posse behind. Melinda stood and grabbed her book from the table to make her way over to the men.

"Darling, that was beautiful." She said as she neared them. Melinda made sure to kiss Coulson on the cheek when she got to his side.

"Thank you." he replied earnestly. "Lin, this is Mr. Fertado. He runs this bed and breakfast." He introduced, although she already knew who the man was.

"Your husband is a great player." Fertado replied with a smile. "I was offering him a job here, playing full time."

"Oh! That's so kind!" She smiled at him. "Darling, that would be amazing." She looked to Coulson, and then back to Mr Fertado."I'm sure he'd love to." She patted the man's bicep, sticking the tracker to him without him being the wiser.

"How about we discuss it after dinner?" Coulson's arm snaked around her waist and he looked at her expectantly, his signal to her that they should leave.

"Oh right, our reservation!" She replied, feigning forgetfulness.

"Well take my card." Fertado handed her a business card as they began walking away. "And thank you!"

"No, no," Melinda looked at Coulson with a smirk once they were out of earshot, "thank you."

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A/N: I own nothing. Boomie out.


	6. Whiskey and Haig

A/N: I went through and rewatched season 4, where I came up with this. Mild spoilers ahead.

Also, please send me prompts in the review section because otherwise I'm just gonna end up pulling random ones off the internet.

Anyways, enjoy!

OoOoOoO

The night was quiet and calm. The silence was a stark contrast to the months that had passed behind them. AIDA, the framework, winding up on an alien spaceship-quiet was a luxury none of them had experienced recently.

But Melinda was suspicious of the quiet. Bad things happened when they got comfortable. Things moved in the shadows when they weren't listening.

Maybe that's why she couldn't sleep.

She finally gave up, leaving the warmth of the twin bed in the room she was sharing with Daisy. The suite had four rooms, a common kitchen, and a seating area. Coulson had paid the attendant at the front desk a little something extra to keep their visit a secret. Since there was still a manhunt going on in the real world, they were stuck hiding out in a hotel.

She entered the kitchen and began perusing the cabinets, looking for something to quell the gnawing in her stomach. Yoyo, being that her face was the lesser known of the group, had gone on a grocery run for them. Melinda sighed and grabbed an apple from the bag on the counter, then sat at the bar and ate slowly, thoughts drifting everywhere but that room.

She rubbed her eyes and heard the front door click open. She grabbed the nearest thing she could find, a miniature bottle of wine, and prepared to throw it at whoever was entering in the middle of the night.

"It's only me." Phil murmured. He shut the door behind him as she lowered the bottle back to the bar. He frowned at her as she rubbed her eyes again, looking exhausted. "You sober?"

"Annoyingly so." She grumbled in reply. She took another bite of her apple and watched him place a small brown paper bag on the counter.

"Well, good." He reached in and pulled out a brown bottle. She couldn't help but smile a bit when she saw the label. It wasn't Haig, but whiskey was close enough. "Couldn't sleep, so I went to find a drink. I figured, it won't be as good as the original, but still might do the trick."

"At least this time you won't be drinking with a robot." She said ruefully as he turned to grab two glasses. He froze ever so slightly, and she could tell she touched a nerve. She wondered briefly for the hundredth time since they left the framework if he had really told her everything.

She watched him pour two glasses, eyes narrowed.

"What?" He shrugged.

"Out with it." She crossed her arms and placed them on the table.

"Out with what?"

"I know you've been keeping something from me." She pleaded with him, feeling the slightest bit of irritation as he feigned ignorance. She noticed him hesitate, and felt a little victorious at the idea that she was right. "Out with it."

"We kissed."

 _That_ was _not_ what she expected. She sat up, eyes wide. It felt like a gut punch, like someone had knocked her feet out from under her. She didn't really know what to make of his confession. She wasn't sure if she was happy about it, or if she should nip whatever this was in the bud now.

"We did?" That was the question that came out. She was still reeling. However, there was a little flutter in her chest, something she couldn't quite explain. Part of her was also a little…jealous maybe? Was it wrong to be jealous of herself? To be jealous that her LMD had actually had the guts to do something like that? Had he even realized it wasn't her? There was a whole bunch of conflicting emotions, but she kept her face stoic.

"Yeah." He downed his drink in one gulp and set his glass back on the table. He watched her, waiting for her reaction.

"Okay." She sighed. She also downed her glass and set it back on the counter.

"Okay? That's it?" He asked incredulously, although there was no sign of anger in his face. He just looked a bit…downtrodden.

"I don't know what to say." She admitted softly. And she didn't. How could she explain something she didn't do?

In fact, as weird as it sounded, she was kind of pleased with her robot self. She had the guts to do what Melinda had been struggling with for years.

But it also worried her. These were feelings that had existed in her since she laid eyes on the goofball, although she may not have known what they were at the time. What if he wanted more than she could give?

He picked up the bottle and his glass with a soft smile, and moved around the bar so he could sit next to her. He poured another round for them both.

"We said we would open another bottle when we were ready to talk about it." He held her gaze. "I'm ready, but I understand if you're not."

"Phil-"

"And I certainly don't want-"

"Phil." She gripped his shoulder, stopping his rambling.

Whatever she was going to say was suddenly lost, dissolved on her tongue as brown eyes met blue. She didn't even notice she had been slowly leaning in until their lips met.

It wasn't even a kiss, just a brush of their lips together. The next kiss was deeper, tasting of apples and whiskey and neither of them wanted to pull away. The one after that was even deeper, her hand flew up to cup his cheek and pull him close, until they both had to pull away to breathe. Even then, he rested his forehead against hers, hand resting on the nape of her neck.

"You know, I like you better than the robot." He murmured, and she couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh.

She hesitated a moment, before murmuring, "I can't guarantee the future, Phil."

She hoped she'd get her meaning, and she was right. He took both her hands in his. "I'm not asking you to." He replied. He looked down at their interwoven fingers, and then back up at her. "But when the time comes…to talk about the future, I mean…" He trailed off.

"We'll crack open another bottle." She finished.

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A/N: I felt really iffy about this chapter, so please let me know what you think. Melinda just doesn't seem like the romantic-confession type so I hope I did her justice

I own nothing. Boomie out

PS: For some reason I have been having formatting issues, even though i'm literally just copying and pasting from a word doc I created. If you see a chapter messed up, don't freak out. Just come back later and it will be fixed.


	7. Bully

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A/N: I'm sick and stuck in a three hour lecture…so here's a new chapter

 _The first time Melinda and Phil met wasn't quite what people thought it was_

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Phil didn't think there would be bullies at the SHiELD academy. But the only word that came to mind when he saw Adam Hald was _bully._

Adam Hald was a beast, easily over two hundred pounds of solid muscle and easily six feet tall, with a mean looking face. Every part of him radiated steroids and a cocky attitude. It was no surprise he joined the operations academy.

Phil, of course, had heard of the guy before. Adam was known for practically beating a guy to death and getting away with it, a story regularly told around the academy. His first semester there, he had carefully been able to avoid the beast by keeping his head down. He was no wimp, by any means, but his position at communications made him an even easier target than others.

It was on a warm spring day, when he was sitting under a tree doing homework in the courtyard, that Hald made the decision to approach the young agent.

The operations academy, usually held in a different building altogether, only really interacted with communications during fight training and in the common cafeteria. Hald must have just come from fight training, because he smelt of blood and sweat and B.O.

Coulson ignored him at first, until he realized that Hald and several of his friends were currently towering over him. Several students paused, intrigued at the potential bloodbath on the lawn.

"How ya doin, _Phil_?" Adam sneered, bending down to look at Coulson's notebook.

"Fantastic, thanks." Phil replied, albeit sarcastically.

"Good, good. How is _communications_?" Several of his lackeys sniggered at the disgust practically dripping out of his mouth.

"Great." Phil began packing up his things and stood from his spot. He didn't know what gave him the balls to say it, but he smiled ruefully and said "Maybe when you have more than two brain cells, we'll talk about it." He immediately regretted it, wondering why the hell he would willingly antagonize a bear.

"Huh, smart guy here thinks he's funny." Adam got in real close to Phil, forcing him a few steps back. He gulped, gripping his bag tightly. "I wonder if it will still be funny when my fist is in your mouth."

He didn't see the gut punch coming until he was gasping for breath, tasting blood in his mouth. He doubled over as a kick, aimed at his legs, knocked him to his knees. He braced himself for an onslaught that never came.

"That's enough!" Someone had grabbed Adam's forearm. The girl, tiny compared to the beast, was somehow able to bring him to his knees, holding his arm behind to him, using her leverage against him and threatening to snap his arm.

"GO! Get out of here!" It took Phil a moment to realize that she was talking to him. He grabbed his bag and sprinted off the grass, not even caring if people thought he was a wimp for running away.

He didn't even realize that he had never gotten her name.

He wouldn't learn that her name was Melinda May until a few years later, on a trip to Sausalito when she got stuck in the bay.


	8. Braid

A/N: Been touring Spain and Portugal for the last week, hence no chapters because all I have is my phone...buuuuut ya girl was desperate to write on a six hour bus ride so cue furious typing.

Enjoy!

(Set somewhere in season 1 or 2 idk)

OoOoOoO

Skye groaned and let her hands fall uselessly to her side, her hair fell around her shoulders, slowly dispersing from her fifty-eighth attempt at putting it up.

It seemed like every time she tried to contain her long locks, gravity made it it's life's work to tear it down. She leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, trying to control her frustration at this stupidly infuriating task.

"You ok?" May, who had been passing through the common area on her way to Coulson's office, must have seen her mini-tantrum.

"Yeah, fine." Skye opened her eyes and noticed Melinda watching her, raised eyebrow. She shook her head with a sigh. "I can't get my stupid hair to cooperate and I'm sorry," she broke off, shaking her head, "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I'm just frustrated."

"Where's your hairband?" Melinda asked, gaze softening.

Skye looked at her, confused. Even still, she removed the band from her wrist and handed it to her SO.

"Don't turn me into Cindy Lou Who." She leaned back closing her eyes.

"Cindy what?"

Skye cracked one eye open,"You really don't-ugh nevermind." She shook her head and closed her eyes once more.

She felt May begin working, fingers trailing lightly over her scalp. It had been years since someone played with her hair. Living in a van meant sacrificing things like hair appointments. And her mom wasn't exactly around, so it was no surprise that she began to doze off as Melinda's hands wove expertly through her hair.

When Melinda finished, she laid Skye on the couch, placing a pillow under her head so she would be comfortable.

She made to go get a blanket, but found one being handed to her by none other than Coulson himself.

"How long have you been there?" She asked softly. May took the blanket with a small smile and draped it over Skye's sleeping form.

"Long enough. I didn't know you could braid hair?" There was a question in his voice.

"My mother taught me when I started ice skating." She replied simply. She turned to look back at the girl, watching her doze for a moment.

It was then that Coulson saw it, a fondness he hadn't seen in her since before Bahrain. It was kind, with a little bit of hope, like a warm embrace on a winter's night.

When May had told him what happened, she had looked so...small, so defeated. Years later, when she told him that they had been trying for a baby before Bahrain, he had almost seen a little glimmer of hope in her before it was yanked away.

Here it was again, but it was stronger. That same warmth that had been in her before seemed to radiate for just a moment as Skye slept.

Coulson suddenly felt an immense amount of gratitude to the young hacker.

"What?"

He must have been staring at May without realizing it.

"I'm glad she came with us." He gestured with a nod to the girl.

"She's been a great addition to the team." May commented.

She looked up, surprised, when he chuckled and made to go back to the staircase.

"She's been a great addition to the family." He winked at her, and laughed once more as he ascended the stairs.


	9. Date Night

A/N: Based off of another Pinterest prompt

 _In which person A gets stood up on a date and person B swings in to save them from embarrassment_

But I decided to tweak it just a bit for my use. This is set just after the case in Russia (the 4x14 flashback)

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Her fingernails clicked rather impatiently on the wooden table. She leaned forward and sighed, resting her chin on her fist, a dark strand falling forward from behind her ear.

As if she didn't look ridiculous enough in her dress up clothes, the fact that she was alone made her feel twice as pathetic.

"Can I get you another glass of wine?" The waitress had come over, and she watched Melinda sympathetically. In fact, most of the waiters had been casting curious looks her way, but she looked out the window to avoid eye contact. May wanted to punch the look off her face, but instead she sighed and sat up straight.

"Just water thanks." Her head was already feeling a little woozy.

"Would you like me to get your companion a drink?" The waitress asked tentatively. Melinda cast her angry gaze over to the empty seat she sat across from.

"No. He'll be here soon." Her own voice sounded strange in her ears.

She was so sure Andrew would show up this time when he called asking to go to dinner. It wasn't the first time he had been late, but an hour? This was getting ridiculous.

She pulled out her phone again, but no new messages. She put it back in her purse, stood up, and was about to leave when a familiar voice called across the restaurant.

"I am so sorry I'm late!" She turned and frowned as not Andrew, but rather Phil moved toward the table she was sitting at. He must have seen her confusion, because he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek and murmured "Go with it." in her ear.

He gestured for her to return to her seat and she sat back down, still confused. The waitress came over and poured him a glass of wine as he sat, but Melinda saw the girl throw him an ugly look.

He must have seen it too, because he said "Tom broke his leg and I offered to drive him home from the hospital since I was in the area."

"No, honey, it's fine." Melinda replied with a forced smile, and the waitress left the table. Once she was gone, May frowned at him. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a weird way of saying 'thanks for saving me from complete embarrassment.'" He replied sarcastically and picked up the menu, skimming over it with a smile on his face.

"Phil." She gave him a stern look and he lay the menu back on the table, smile falling.

"You told me you had a date. I was walking by when I saw you were alone…" He faded off with a shrug.

"You just happened to be passing by?" She sat back, folding her arms across her chest. Her raised eyebrow told him she didn't believe what he was saying.

"Yup." He smiled, a superior look on his face. "Mel's bakery down the street has the best pie in town."

"Interesting." she replied, still not sure she believed him. "Andrew never showed." She relinquished the info with a breath of disappointment.

The smile faded off of his face. "I'm sorry." He looked genuinely sympathetic.

She realized that he wasn't going to leave, so she sighed and picked up her menu, rolling with it.

May found that, even an hour after he showed up, that she had never grown bored. With Andrew, she would occasionally tune out of the conversation, drift off into her own thoughts. With Phil, she found herself focused on every word. She actually laughed, although most of his jokes were stupidly corny. She was almost disappointed when the waitress brought the bill.

Phil picked it up before she had the chance, and gave her a smirk when she tried to grab it from him. Eventually she just had to sit back and shake her head as he pulled out his wallet. When the bill was returned, he signed the receipt, brow furrowing slightly as he wrote.

Once taken care of, they exited the dimly lit restaurant and onto the street. He offered her his arm, and she chuckled, winding her hand through to hang on his elbow. For a moment, they walked in silence, enjoying the cool night air.

"I never pictured the first time you saving my life as you saving me from an awkward dinner alone." She thought out loud. She heard him chuckle, and looked sideways at him.

"Like I said in Russia, if it doesn't work out with Andrew…" He didn't finish, and he didn't need to.

"We could talk about it...over a drink." She finished for him, her voice going quiet. They had stopped walking, reaching the corner of the street. The night was quiet, and it was late. They could barely see each other in the glow of street lamps.

There was a moment….It was like the flipping of a switch. Casual turned to romantic, friendly to something else. He stopped to look at her and for a moment, her breath caught silently. His eyes laced with longing and curiosity and just a little bit of fear. She didn't know who leaned in first.

Their first kiss was chaste, nothing but lips brushing together. He pulled back a moment, silently asking for permission. She responded by pulling him in, this time kissing him with every fiber of her being. He pulled her close until there was no space between them. They had kissed before, even gotten intimate on that one case, but this was different. This was crossing a line that neither of them ever thought they'd cross. This was the point of no return.

When he finally pulled away to breathe, he placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. She released his jacket, having not even been aware that she had gripped the fabric tightly in her hands. For a moment, they said nothing.

"Thank you, Phil." He pulled back a bit, to look at her with a curious frown on his face.

"You saved me from a really awful night." Her laugh was breathless, and he found himself chuckling along.

"It was a great date, if I do say so myself." They laughed again, but then his face grew serious. "The first of many, I hope." The hope was written on his face, and she found herself smirking.

"Of course." She kissed him, this time pulling away before he could pull her close again. "Just don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He replied.


	10. Mother of the Bride

A/N: I got this idea while watching the big 100th episode (which I loved, but I'm mad that there wasn't any significant Phillinda occurrences…back to that later).

If you haven't seen it, there will be spoilers ahead.

I own nothing!

OoOoOoO

When Daisy first told Phil her idea, he thought she was crazy.

Of course, Daisy's ideas usually revolved around how much espresso she had drunk that morning, but judging by the fact that they were wanted criminals hiding in the light house, he doubted she had any access to strong coffee.

So…she was just insane then.

"Are you crazy?" He voiced incredulously, stopping in the hall and whipping around, almost knocking into her. "No."

"Come ON." She cried. "It's bad enough that they can't even have their families here. Why can't you make his special for them?"

Daisy," He raised his hand to stop her, "there's a difference between wanting to do something special and trying to do something suicidal. You're not going into town, and that's the end of it."

He turned away and continued down the hall. She shook her head, and jogged to catch up with him.

"I'm not saying we all go into town. I'm saying Jemma and I, and maybe May." She got in front of him and forced him to stop walking to look at her. "We'll keep our heads down, get in and get out. No funny business."

He looked at her for a moment, face tired and deflated. She wondered briefly if he was in pain as he crossed his arms.

"Give us an hour. That's it." She pleaded with him. She was wearing him down, she could tell. "If we find something, great. If not, we pull out. _Please._ "

He took in a deep breath, thinking deeply. "What does May think about this?"

"She's on board.." She replied, but she could tell by the look he gave her that he knew she was totally bluffing. "Ugh, fine, I didn't ask her yet. Thought I'd ask dad before mom." She replied teasingly. She felt a bit victorious when a slow smile spread across his face.

"Ask May. If she says yes-"

"Ask me what?" It seemed Melinda had caught the last part of their conversation as she made her way to her room. She stepped out into the hallway and placed her hands on her hips, expression neutral.

 _Now comes the hard part…convincing May_ Daisy thought to herself. She took a step towards her SO and folded her arms across her chest nervously.

"There is a thrift store not too far from here. We wanted to go find Jemma a dress…for the wedding." Daisy explained. She shifted her weight.

"They also wanted you to go with them." Phil glared at the young agent. "I told them no."

"Why not?"

Daisy looked up at Melinda, jaw dropping. She was actually agreeing to it? "Who are you and what have you done with May-"

"You would let them go, knowing they could be put in prison?" Phi's voice rose up defensively, overlapping Daisy's.

"Phil-" she raised a hand, stopping them both,"this is her wedding day." Although her face remained stoic, her eyes softened when she looked at him. "As long as we stay quiet, no one will know we are there."

Coulson and Melinda locked eyes, fighting it out silently, until he finally shook his head and relented.

"Daisy, you have an hour. No more, no less." She nodded eagerly to his conditions like a child you was being allowed to go play with friends. "Melinda, don't let them do anything stupid."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She replied with a smirk. "Daisy, go get Jemma. We leave in five."

Daisy nodded and went running off to find the bride-to-be.

OoOoOoO

Half an hour later, after getting turned around and Jemma forgetting her wallet, the three ladies found themselves in _Fairytale Thrift Shop_ , a bigger-on-the-inside hole-in-the-wall place that was run by two older ladies, both of whom seemed too invested in their soap operas to pay attention to their shoppers.

It was nice not having someone stare at them, or whisper behind their backs. The soft, lilting tune pf classical music was the only thing that disturbed the quiet.

The three split off, each heading to separate racks of clothes to try and find the perfect dress. There were several close calls in the first half hour. At one point, Jemma was even convinced that she had found the one, but a stain down the front of it turned her off.

It started as trying to find something white, then it widened to trying to find any color dress, and finally, they became desperate and looked for anything formal at all.

"I was hoping we'd be able to find something…I hate to think I've let her down." Daisy thought out loud to May as they rifled through the clothing racks. She glanced over at Jemma, who was doing the same a few rows down. May hummed her reply, not saying anything. She kept her gaze on the rack, but she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Daisy had turned to look at her, brow furrowed.

"What?"

"Nothing…I'm just…" She paused and stepped back. "I'm trying to figure out what you would wear."

Melinda scoffed and turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. "What?"

"For your wedding? I mean, Andrew said you eloped but…I can still see you as a kind of bridezilla." She shrugged nonchalantly. A few years ago, she would have been terrified to even bring it up, but now…how times had changed.

"I was not the bridezilla in that relationship." Melinda grumbled, also returning to her rack, but Daisy whipped around to stare at her wide-eyed.

"Wait, seriously?" Daisy laughed.

"Andrew wanted the big white wedding. He was always talking about it-going on about the perfect venue, even tried to pick out my dress for me." She scoffed. "We went to Vegas for a case, I convinced him to elope."

Daisy laughed, a true, genuine laugh. It was nice to hear, seeing as how the last few days had been hell on Earth. Melinda found herself smiling.

"It's good to see you smile." Daisy had suddenly grown serious, watching her S.O. closely. She knew how much it hurt her that Coulson was dying…she couldn't imagine what that knowledge was doing to May.

Melinda didn't respond for a moment, her face falling at the thought. "It's good to have something to look forward to." She pulled away from the clothing, having gone through her entire rack and not finding anything worthwhile. Jemma was such a pipsqueak like her…finding good clothes that would fit would be difficult.

As if reading her mind, the timer on her phone went off, alerting them that it was time to go.

Jemma came to join them, and the trio made their way towards the front.

"Hey, wait, Jemma." Something had caught Daisy's eye.

Behind the front desk, a small white dress hung over the back of the chair. As though noticing her gaze, one of the clerks stood and picked the dress off the back of the chair.

"There was a hole in it, but I haven't had the chance to mend it." Said the old woman, laying it out on the counter.

Jemma let out a mesmerized breath, taking the fabric and running it through her hands. Daisy smiled watching her, watching her eyes begin to glisten.

"There's bound to be a sewing kit somewhere on base." Melinda interjected. "We could fix it up." She looked at Jemma, but the girl didn't reply. "I think we'll take it." She told the clerk.

Without even hesitating, she took out her wallet and paid for the dress, despite the wide-eyed looks the girls were giving her.

"May-" Jemma's voice faded before she could finish her statement. Melinda led them back outside to the truck, saying nothing. Once they were outside, Jemma practically ran into her arms.

"Thank you." She murmured into Melinda's jacket.

"Of course." Melinda replied back softly.

It was customary for a mother to go dress shopping with her daughter…but it this case, it was close enough.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Idk man...Not sure about this one...


	11. Death

A/N: Hey guys! May mentioned in the beginning of season four that when she died, she saw Coulson. So, I built a one-shot on that…  
Also, to respond to YulianaHenderson: I actually really liked that scene in the 100th episode. It was super sweet, and easily one of my favorites that they have done so far…that being said, I personally was really hoping that, since it was a big episode, they would have added a bit more Phillinda in there. I totally get that they aren't going to be getting married anytime soon, and I wasn't expecting that. The only problem I have with that scene is that it did nothing for their relationship…so far, they've just plateaued…and since it's looking like this might be the last season, I was hoping for a little bit more./p  
Don't get me wrong, I loved that episode. I'm just greedy and I want more. This is just my opinion so please don't hate me lol. I really hope they renew the show.  
ANYWAYS…I ramble a lot. I own nothing. Enjoy!  
OoOoOoO

It didn't start off with a big white light.

Nor did it start out with darkness.

It started with a breeze tickling her face and gently carrying strands of her hair. It started with the sun, bearing down on her closed eyelids. There was warmth on her face, her whole body really, that seemed to want to lull her into a doze.

She opened her eyes slowly, and her senses seemed to awaken along with them. She could feel the roughness of wood under her fingertips, smell honeysuckle in the air. Hear the sounds of children playing nearby.

Children?

Melinda glanced around and found it, a massive playground. Children ran around in the spring weather playing tag, their laughter seemingly echoing around her.

She stood from the wooden bench slowly, not quite trusting her feet, but found that she was steady, light even. Her feet seemed to barely touch the ground as she made her way through the tall grass.

She stood at the edge of the playground a moment, watching the children run around breathless. Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of brown hair caught her attention-a familiar voice.

"No, it can't be."

The girl had turned, seeing Melinda, and watched her for a moment. Her face, so familiar but also different. Her smile was no longer dark and her eyes were bright and happy.

 _Bahrain_

"Can't be what?" She was startled by a hand on her lower back. At first, she thought it was Andrew. He would rest his hand on her back often while they were married. In fact, she turned expecting it to be him.

"Phil?"

He stepped back a bit, frowning at the confused look on her face.

"You alright, Melinda?" His piercing blue eyes seemed to look right through her.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." What she actually wanted to say, what she tried to say, was 'What the hell am I doing here?'

She suddenly felt like she was trapped in someone else's body, like all she wanted to do was scream but her voice wouldn't let her. A dull throbbing began at her temples.

There was a flash, a vision of something, where she was somewhere else and not at this playground.

Memories. Movies that played behind her eyelids when she would blink.

 _Daisy_

 _The Lab_

 _Hive_

 _Ward_

 _Fitzsimmons_

 _Lash_

 _Andrew_

They flew by so quickly, too quick to experience. They came more and more….every memory. Ice skating on a frozen pond, graduation day, Coulson's funeral….it was all too much.

She wanted to return to the sun, to watch the kids play. To sit next to Phil and hold his hand and have everything be simple.

But in equal measures, she wanted to go home. The base, the plane, her _family._

The visions came too quickly. Coulson's hand on her back drifted away. The girl disappeared. The memories flitted by so fast that it stole her breath.

She collapsed to her knees and

BAM

She was awake, gasping for breath in the dark.

She didn't remember much, only tearing the wires from her body, asking Jemma what was going on. She didn't even realized she died until Jemma told her, tears streaming down her face.

But what she saw…what she felt…it had all been so real.  
When Phil asked her what she saw when she died, she told him the truth. She had seen him.

But he knew better; he knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth. So, he asked her again, in private, when they were safe at the base.

It took a second, a moment, to gather her thoughts before she told him everything. Every memory she saw, the playground, the little girl.

When she was done, she murmured "I wanted to stay there."/p

He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed, unsure of what to say. How could he tell someone he cared about that living in hell was better than living in paradise? They had all been through the ringer, Melinda more than most. How could he convince her that staying was worth it?

Truth was, he couldn't. He didn't know how to make her feel better.

So, he didn't try to. He took her hands in his and said the first thing that came to his mind.  
"I'm really glad you're here."  
OoOoOoO  
A/N: I've always wanted to write a good death, but never really knew how…hope this was okay


	12. Returning the Favor

A/N: So I know I usually write Phillinda….BUT this one shot popped into my head and I had to write it down.

 _In which Fitz is acting weird and Jemma tries to figure out why._ Set after Aftershocks-Jemma knows about Daisy's powers

OoOoOoO

Jemma didn't notice it at first.

She thought it was just Fitz being his scatterbrained self. Ever since their adventures into the ocean's abyss, he was like a five year old boy. He would walk into rooms and walk back out, forgetting why he went in there, drop things without realizing it, get excited and then have trouble saying why.

But this was different.

Simmons noticed it late one evening, when the lab had quieted and its employees had scattered back to their homes. They were working in silence, as she was still quite angry at him for lying to her. It was in the tense silence that she heard his phone vibrate on the workbench beside him.

He picked it up, frowned at it, and then stood from his chair.

"I'll be right back." He told her shortly.

"Where are you-" But he was gone before she could finish, mumbling an excuse as he walked out of the lab.

Now, Jemma wasn't really a suspicious person. So, it wasn't until the fourth or fifth occurrence that she began to suspect something else was going on. It always started with his phone vibrating, and he would always practically go running out of the lab, always muttering an excuse as he went.

Finally, she got fed up with it. One night, she followed him.

Of course, she felt really weird about it. She and Fitz had always been able to trust one another. She tried reasoning with her guilty conscious as she followed him down the hall. _I'm just curious_ or _Wow what a coincidence, I'm heading this way, too._ However, she had to admit to herself at some point that it was simply suspicion.

She watched him walk into the bay, and onto the plane. After being sure he couldn't see her, she crept onto the plane behind him.

 _He's going to see Skye?_ The thought dawned on her as she hid around the corner, hearing him open the door to the interrogation room where Skye was currently being held. She crept along after him and paused outside the cracked door.

When she heard heavy breathing, her heart dropped in her chest, and the wind was knocked out of her. The feeling of betrayal sunk into her bones, despite the fact that they weren't together and never had been. But the feeling made her utterly miserable and cold.

She was about to go in and scream at him, beat him to a pulp, but a different noise stopped her before she could.

Sobbing.

The crying was tortured and raw, and obviously Skye's. She gasped for breath and it seemed to echo around the quiet plane.

Simmons peeked through the crack in the door. Fitz lowered himself onto the bed and leaned against the wall, and Skye curled into his side. Within seconds, tears were soaking his shirt.

"It's okay." He murmured into her hair, rubbing her back and letting her cry herself out.

Jemma's breath hitched in her throat, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. She pulled away from the door and walked away, fighting her urge to go in and make sure the girl was okay.

Instead, she made her way back to the lab, where she sat and stared off into space.

A quiet "hey" interrupted her thoughts an hour later. She looked up as Fitz came over to her desk. "I know you followed me, Jemma."

Suddenly feeling incredibly guilty, she sat back in her chair. "Is Skye okay?"

He grabbed a swivel chair and sat next to her with a sigh.

"She has nightmares." He replied quietly. "I coded the heart rate monitor in her wristband so that when she gets nervous or panicked, my phone vibrates. I can try to calm her down."

"Fitz, you don't have to-"

"I owe you an explanation." His eyes pleading. "I just wanted to help her…I mean…I know what that's like…" His voice trailed off. He looked at his folded hands, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"You are helping her, Fitz." She cupped his hands in hers and pulled her chair closer to his. "You are being a friend to her-a far better one than I was."

She took a deep breath, the guilt of saying those nasty things to her friend settling into her bones once more. It had been a constant weight on her chest since she found out what Skye could do…and who she was.

"I just wish I could do more." She finished softly.

"Maybe you can." He smiled at her for the first time in a while and it made her heart leap in her chest.

For the next few weeks, they alternated 'Skye Duty'. Anytime she had a nightmare, one of them was there to coax her back to reality. When she moved to Afterlife, they would find themselves awake in the middle of the night, enjoying a cup of tea in the kitchen because they were so used to the routine.

When Daisy returned, new name and new identity included, she no longer shook the Earth after every dream. Her heart rate remained steady. It seemed the nightmares ceased.

To be honest, it made them a little sad, knowing that she no longer needed them.

The feeling, of course, wore off over time.

However, Maveth changed things…for all of them.

Now it was Jemma's turn to toss in bed, fighting off the demons she saw every time she closed her eyes, feeling the dust on her face despite just taking a shower. Feeling the chill sink into her bones. Missing Will with every fiber of her being.

Then one night, she felt the bed shift. A soft hand was placed on her shoulder. It wasn't Fitz…she could smell a familiar perfume.

Jemma sat up slowly, tears snaking down her cheeks. Daisy gestured for her to move over, and the young scientist curled into her best friend, crying into her shoulder much the same way that Skye had.

"I'm here." Daisy murmured into the girl's hair as her body was wracked with sobs. She held her for a while, until Jemma's sobs faded into hiccups.

"You've done so much for me, Jemma." Daisy murmured into the quiet. "It's about time I return the favor."


	13. Mistrust

A/N: Back to Phillinda for this one…set just after 1x20

OoOoOoO

She watched him…watched his face contort in pain and confusion as he looked at the screen.

The video-she had seen it, of course, but even seeing it a second or third time did nothing to lessen the blow. She couldn't imagine how he felt, knowing that he had been the one to run the TAHITI project.

She didn't know what compelled her to go after that information. Even after Coulson basically told her he could never trust her again, she still dug up his grave just to give him some peace of mind. That was what she did. Not as an agent or his right hand (wo)man, but as a friend.

 _Not a very good conversation starter_ she thought ruefully as he stared at the screen, despite the fact that the video had ended two minutes ago. She waited, keeping her breathing even. She waited until he was ready to talk.

"Did you know?" His voice was soft, but still thick with mistrust. It made her unbelievably frustrated.

"No." She replied quietly. Her heart sunk in her chest because, deep down, she knew he could probably never trust her fully again.

He stood from the chair and began pacing across the hotel carpet, eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

May grabbed the chair from the desk and turned it around to sit facing the bed. She sunk into it, hands gripping the armrests, and crossed her legs.

"Ask." She said simply. Of course, he knew what she meant without her elaborating. She was giving him an opportunity to ask anything, get any answers. _That_ was her peace offering, whether he chose to take it or not.

He trained his eyes on her for a moment.

Not seeing any ill intent in her face, he sat on the edge of the bed, folding his hands.

"Did you know it was alien? The drug?"

"No." She replied. After thinking a moment, she elaborated. "I knew they injected you with something, but I didn't know it was alien. I was just told to watch for any signs of deterioration and take action if it got bad."

"Who else knows?"

"Fury, Hill, the doctors working on you." She fired back.

"And the team?" He asked, begging internally that nobody else knew about his condition before he did.

"They were as in the dark as you were." She replied.

"Why you?"

She hesitated.

"Fury knew you trusted me." She looked up at him, eyes caught between pain and pleading. "At first, I said no. But when you came to my cubicle," She smiled slightly despite herself, "I realized I didn't want it to be anyone else."

His eyes locked on hers, surprise registering on his face.

"Look, Phil, I had my orders not to tell you." He opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him. "I wanted to, my god, but I couldn't. It killed me. Whether you choose to believe that is up to you." She got up from her chair. "But from what I've seen, it will be a while before you can even look me in the eye."

She began the walk to the door, but his hand gripping her wrist stopped her in her tracks.

"I do trust you, Melinda." How could he not? All this trouble, contacting Maria, digging in his grave. She was his best friend, his shadow. The last few days had been hell without her, and it took watching her walk out the door a second time to realize that.

He stood, keeping his grip on her wrist. He pulled her into a hug then, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She wasn't the hugging type, he knew that, but if the occasion called for it…well she wasn't going to push him away.

"I can't forgive you," he pulled away and she felt her heart sink in her chest once more. "Not yet. But I can't lose you again."

His voice was desperate, blue eyes burning into hers. It scared her a bit, his need for her to be there. That desperation was something she had never seen on him before. But if she were being honest with herself, she wanted to be there as much as he wanted her there.

"Will you stay?" He asked her softly.

"Always." She replied without hesitation.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I own nothing


	14. Hurt-Request

A/N: I FINALLY got a request from someone, which is both daunting and uplifting.

This is for Lena- _May gets injured and the team tries to save her._

This one will be a bit longer.

I own nothing!

OoOoOoO

May crouched behind the wall and peered around the corner, gun tight in her hands but lowered.

Two guards. She took them both down in clean shots.

 _Remember, clear the building, find the inhuman, see what information you can get ahold of. That way-_

"We can try to find where HIVE is hiding out." She finished. "We've gone through that at least five times."

 _May-_ Coulson's disapproving voice in her ear instigated a small smirk. _I shouldn't have to remind you that the base is heavily guarded. That's why we're using real guns on this one. Mack and Yoyo are on the roof working their way down to you._

"Copy that."

 _Levels twenty two and twenty are clear._ Mack's voice came through coms. _Moving down._

May was on level fifteen. From the intel they had, she knew this was the prisoner level. They were looking for a young girl, an inhuman, before HIVE could find her.

She moved down the hall towards the guards and searched each of them, looking for the key to the prisoners doors. She found them, and began searching rooms.

She didn't realize she made a mistake until she entered room number one.

The room itself was empty. She stepped in, glanced around, and was about to back out when suddenly the door was being slammed into her back. She was sent flying forward, throwing her hands out to catch herself instinctively.

"Well if it isn't Agent May?"

Melinda was on her feet in a second.

Giyera. She sighed in irritation.

"I've got Giyera." She spoke into her comms. "It was a trap. Do you read me?"

Only static echoed back, only causing her irritation to rise. She assumed HIVE knew that the SHIELD team was coming. She cursed internally.

"You really think we couldn't see you coming." Giyera replied, folding his hands in front of him and standing up straight. His superiority got on her nerves.

She attacked first, which was her second mistake.

He easily blocked her swipe at his head, and aimed a punch at her gut, which she sidestepped. She grabbed his outstretched hand and yanked him forward to drive a kick into his stomach.

Another punch-hers-he caught her hand. She struggled to free herself and he grabbed her other hand.

She took advantage of the opening and kicked her foot up, catching him in the crotch.

She staggered back as he fell, clutching his nether regions with a particularly pained expression on his face. She was about to deliver a kick to his head when he caught her foot, and jerked it upward so she fell back.

There was a crack as her head slammed against the tiled floor, and the world swayed around her. She struggled to her feet, but her head pounded.

She just barely managed to dodge a punch, but the movement sent her staggering back. She clung to the grey wall, hoping the room would steady itself.

He came at her, trying to pin her against the very wall that she was clinging to, and she ducked, hearing his fist hit the wall not two inches from the side of her head.

She flipped them so he was now against the wall and her hand was around his throat, pinning him there.

She wanted so badly to kill him. Both of her hands tightened around his windpipe, squeezing.

Her third mistake was forgetting about her gun. Three strikes and you're out.

She heard the gunshot before she felt it.

Giyera was gone before she fell to the ground, clutching her midsection as blood began to leak through her fingers. The pain was…unimaginable.

She gasped for breath, tried to flip herself onto her side. Darkness swam at the edges of her vision.

She didn't know what compelled her to drag herself across the floor. She tries to convince herself that it's to call out to Yoyo and Mack, or try comms again. But in all honesty, it was because she didn't want to die in that room. Not alone.

She made it to the doorway and somehow managed to prop herself up against the doorframe. One hand stayed glued to her midsection, pressing hard to staunch the flow of blood. The other flew up to her comms.

"Phil-"

The world was getting dark fast. A chill seemed to settle in her bones.

 _May, we lost you for a bit. Everything alright down there?_ Coulson's voice was happy go lucky. It made her smile weakly.

"Giyera's in the building." She bit out through another wave of pain. Her hand fell from her face, too weak to remain there.

 _Are you ok? May?_

"AGENT MAY!" Someone called. But she couldn't see who it was.

And then the world went dark.

OoOoOoO

Yoyo was the first one to her.

She knelt down, unsure what to do for a moment, hands shaking and tears threatening the corners of her eyes.

"May, stay with me." She thought back to Jemma, what she would do. Her fingers moved to the base of May's neck, checking for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there.

And god there was so much blood. Elena ripped part of Melinda's shirt away, exposing her midsection.

"We need to get her out. Coulson-" Mack spoke into his comms," we need extraction, now. May's hurt."

"We need to stop the bleeding. Is there anything we can use?" Yoyo's voice was panicked.

Mack looked around before noticing that it was a prisoner's cell. He sprinted over to the bed-nothing but a thin mattress-and ripped the sheets off it unceremoniously. He returned to her and she tore the fabric with shaking hands.

Once they had a makeshift bandage around May, Mack handed Yoyo his gun and scooped the agent up like she was nothing more than a ragdoll.

OoOoOoO

Jemma was waiting ten minutes before the plane even lands, pacing at the entrance of the base.

"I should have gone with them." She told Fitz, who looked just as worried as she did, if not more so. But he leaned against the wall, arms wrapped around himself like he did when he was worried.

"They didn't know this would happen. Don't blame yourself." He sighed and came over to her, stopping her pacing. "She's alive-"

"Yes, for now, but what happens if-" A tear slid down her cheek.

"Jemma." He wiped the tear from her face with his thumb and kept his hand there, cupping her cheek. "You can do this."

The doors opened and he stepped back.

OoOoOoO

Phil Coulson doesn't know how long he had been sitting there when she finally opens her eyes.

It could have been hours, days. All he does know is that her hand felt cold and tiny in his, that her face was pale, that her heart monitor beeped steadily despite evidence to the contrary.

Her return to reality is first marked by her squeezing his hand lightly. It jerks him from the nap he was taking, head on his crossed arms on the side of her hospital bed.

He sat upright, watching her eyes flutter open and her breathing change. She looked around, confused for a moment, before her eyes landed on his.

"Welcome back, Agent May." He teased quietly. It was just past three in the morning.

"How long was I out?"

"A few days." He replied.

She nodded and leaned her head back, but not before noticing how tightly he was gripping her hand.

"Phil," He jerked up at the sound of his name,"I'm okay."

He smiled but said nothing for a moment, just enjoying the warmth returning to her fingers.

"You coded, Melinda." He said softly. "Only for a minute, but I was afraid-"

He couldn't finish the thought, and she didn't want him to. They lived in a world of silent conversations and looks. Words were not her forte, and he tended to mix his up. She knew what he meant, but she was too tired to analyze if she felt a similar way.

She leaned her head back and fell asleep once more.

OoOoOoO

Daisy's hands trembled over the keys, surging with anger and worry as she watched the security feed.

"You're angry." She wasn't surprised that HIVE had come to check on her. His presence was…soothing. Like a balm on burned skin. He moved to look at the feeds next to her.

"I hate that she got hurt." Daisy replied quietly, turning off the feed of the med bay and swiveling around to look at him.

"She was in the way, Daisy." He said it so simply.

And yet, he was right. SHIELD was getting in the way, Giyera made sure they were taken care of. It was so simple now, so right. The anger faded.

"You're right." She voiced out loud.

"Once they join us, they will forgive us." He rested a hand on her shoulder and offered his approximation of a smile, before turning and leaving the room.

His words calmed her anger, sure.

But that didn't mean she wasn't worried.

OoOoOoO

Lena-I hope you liked it! I tried to keep it in the same sort of time period as 3x17, but after Daisy joined HIVE.

It was interesting, writing in different perspectives…I suck at writing fight scenes sooo sorry

Anyways-hope you enjoyed!


	15. Star Wars Fan

A/N: So you guys remember that scene at the end of season 3, where Coulson is a hologram trolling HIVE and he says "I've always wanted to do this. _Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope._ "?

Well I thought it was super cute and then just thinking about him being a huge Star Wars nerd just made me smile.

So here's a one shot based off that idea.

Set just after the end of season 1. Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

He was exhausted. Plain and simple.

He practically collapsed into his chair, leaning his head back into the headrest and closing his eyes. His hands were shaky, and he wondered briefly when the last time he actually had a full meal was. Lately, his meals had been airport coffee and a bag of potato chips.

But for now, everything was quiet. Only the humming of the heating system broke the silence.

In fact, he was about to doze off, when the rumbling of his stomach caught him off guard. He sighed and sat up, deciding to go in search of food.

A soft knock on his office door stopped him as he removed his jacket.

May didn't bother waiting. She let herself in quietly. He tossed his jacket over the back of his chair.

"You look like hell." She said after a moment, eyebrow raised.

"You try flying to three countries in two days." He fired back, but it was without its usual snark. His stomach growled again...loudly.

"You want me to get you something?" She replied, fighting back a smile. A flash of irritation crossed his tired face.

"I'm not _that_ desperate for food."

"We ordered pizza, idiot." She crossed her arms. "Come on, I'll get you a plate. And a drink."

He nodded and followed her out of his office.

"Where is everyone?" It was oddly quiet.

"I don't know." She shrugged, but he saw right through the lie. _What was going on?_

"May-"

She refused to reply. They reached the kitchen door which, usually open, was closed. He frowned at her, and then pushed it open hesitantly.

"SURPRISE!"

Suddenly there was confetti being thrown in his face and multiple voices laughing and crying out in happiness.

"What is all of this?" He laughed, once the confetti had fallen to the ground.

"May told us your birthday was yesterday." Jemma replied, placing her hands on her hips. He noticed that she wore a green t-shirt, with Yoda's face peering out at him from under her sweater.

He glared at his friend, who shrugged and leaned against the doorframe.

"Oh come on, AC." Skye brought over a plate, piled high with pizza and his favorite garlic knots from _Gipettis_ down the road. "It's been a while since we've had something to celebrate. Happy Birthday!" She side hugged him and presented the plate theatrically.

She was right though. With Fitz still out of it and the pressure of completely taking over SHIELD, the occasions to be together were few and far between.

Speaking of Fitz, he neared Coulson warily and held out a small box. "H-Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Fitz." He cocked his head, when he saw the kid's shirt. _Han shot first_ was written in yellow letters. "I like your shirt."

"Wait till you see the cake." He murmured conspiratorially, some mischief coming back into his once empty eyes.

"Hey guys-" Keonig peeked his head around the corner, a pair of Yoda ears situated on the top of his head, "We got the projector all set."

"Projector?" He frowned at Jemma, wondering what he meant.

"Come on and find out." Skye took her plate into the living room, Jemma following close behind. Fitz also made his way in there, after he had filled his plate.

Phil finished the slice he was given and made his way to grab a second, where he saw the cake sitting in a white box. Through the top, he could see that it was decorated with R2D2.

"The cake,,,wasn't my idea." May commented, coming around the other side of the island. He handed her a plate.

"Star Wars?" He gestured to the cake box with the pizza cutter.

"Billy." She replied, and that seemed to explain a lot. "I may have let it slip that you were a fan."

"Thanks for that." He replied sarcastically. The smile on his face, however, was genuine.

"They have been excited all day, Phil." She gave him a pointed look. "At least pretend to have fun."

She took her plate into the living room and he followed not too far behind.

It seemed that by projector, Billy meant that Fitz had somehow outfitted one of the drones with the ability to project on a white sheet hung over the exposed brick. It hovered in the air, barely making a noise. Tripp had connected the drone to Skye's laptop, and paired his speakers up so they had sound.

Sound for what? Coulson found that out when the Star Wars theme song came blaring out in the room, and Skye and Tripp let out a small cheer.

Despite how exhausted he had been when he returned from his trip, he sat wide eyed, watching the movie with a mixture of excitement and contentment.

He didn't even need to pretend to have fun.

OoOoOoO

A/N: This sounded really cute in my head, but I'm not so sure about it now that I've written it down. Hope you enjoyed! I own nothing.


	16. Mum's the Word

A/N: First off, I just wanna say a HUGE thank you to everyone who had commented positive things on this story. As someone who doesn't write very often, it's really awesome to know that people actually enjoy what I'm writing.

Any constructive criticism is welcome, as I am always looking for ways to improve.

This chapter is a cute shot between May and Jemma, so if you haven't seen 5x14, there will be spoilers for the end.

I don't know if Jemma is actually pregnant, but this is just how I imagine Momma May finding out.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Melinda's intention was to go visit Elena, who was still cooped up in her hospital bed. Of course, she knew how awful it was to be poked and prodded while being crowded by a bunch of well-meaning but insufferable guests.

So, she decided to go when Mack wasn't around, as he had been sent by Coulson to go to the pantry for a supply run.

She didn't even enter the hospital room all the way, she just leaned against the doorframe and watched Simmons flit around.

"How are you feeling?" May asked, stepping into the room a bit but keeping her distance.

"Better, thanks." Yoyo replied, a grateful smile flashing across her face. "I'm glad Mack went on a supply run. He was getting on my nerves." She leaned her head back and took a deep breath.

"Alright, I'm almost done." Jemma replied, seeing the exasperation on Yoyo's face. "I just need a blood sample to make sure you don't have an infection."

"Yes ma'am." Elena replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. Melinda understood the feeling.

But, something changed in Jemma went she went to take blood. Her face grew pale and her nose wrinkled. Beads of sweat pooled on her forehead. She looked like she was going to be sick.

Not a second after she finished, she went bolting out of the room.

"Simmons?"

"Jemma?"

Elena couldn't leave, but May followed after the girl. She entered the bathroom behind her just as Jemma vomited the entire contents of her stomach into the toilet.

After locking the door, May grabbed a towel and soaked it in cool water, then wrung it out in the sink and brought it over.

She held Jemma's hair as the girl vomited once more, and then dry heaved.

Melinda didn't say anything for a moment, she just crouched down and pressed the towel against the nape of the girl's neck.

Once she was sure that Jemma was done, she sat on the floor next to her, back against the wall and knees up to her chest.

"Are you ok?"

Jemma nodded, but the tears spilling onto her cheeks were a different story.

"Jemma-" Melinda's voice was soft and worried. Although she wasn't one for hugging, she pulled the girl in, allowing her to cry on her shoulder.

Suddenly, Jemma seemed so small in her arms, so petit, much like the girl she had met when she first got on the plane. She suddenly seemed so unsure, and so broken.

All Melinda could do was stroke her hair, and murmur that it was going to be okay.

Once it seemed like Jemma was done, she asked "Do you want to talk about it?"

The young scientist sat up slowly, and wiped the drying tears from her cheeks.

"I thought he was better." Jemma replied softly, obviously talking about Fitz. "For once, I just wanted to go a day where he was okay, but he's not, and I'm scared…" tears threatened to spill over again.

"Jemma, everything is going to work out. It always does." Melinda wasn't so sure if she was trying to convince Jemma, or herself.

"I wanted a future, May-"

"And you have one." May insisted. Determined, she stood from the floor and offered Jemma a hand up. Once the girl was off the floor, she looked a bit better.

"You married him, Jemma. For better or for worse, right?" Jemma nodded at May's words. "So whether this turns out bad, or good, he will need you by his side, helping in a way only you can. You are going to be okay."

She seemed a bit less...shaky now.

"So, clean up, change clothes, and come out when you're ready."

May was about to leave, but Jemma stopped her by saying

"I'm pregnant."

May, of course, wasn't really shocked. She knew that something really had to be wrong for the doc to get nauseous around blood. However, she also didn't want Jemma to feel forced to say anything, especially not in front of the others.

"Are you sure?"

If it had been anyone but May, Jemma might have been pissed at the lack of reaction. However, this was May. If she was asking, it meant she genuinely wanted to know. Jemma just wished she had told Melinda two weeks prior when she found out.

"Yes."

Melinda nodded, and after thinking for a moment, she said "Jemma, I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

Jemma found herself about to cry yet again. This time, she wasn't sad.

She knew May well enough to know that despite the cool reserve she was currently portraying, she was fiercely protective.

She was suddenly hugging Melinda again, and the older agent returned the hug just as tight.

OoOoOoO

Melinda kept her silence. That was what she was good at.

The secret was kept to the three of them, Melinda, Deke, and Jemma. Deke would go out regularly and get whatever Jemma needed, and May would check in on her, making sure she wasn't working herself to hard, in the subtlest of ways.

When she told Fitz, he was ecstatic, as were the others when they found out.

And when little Rose was born on a cool morning in October, they were all there, happily chatting amongst themselves about who she looked most like and how beautiful her eyes were.

Daisy was the first to hold her. She rocked her carefully, holding her head just like Jemma instructed. Then, Rose was passed to Mack, who held her low enough so Elena could place a kiss on her forehead. Then it was Phil's turn, but almost as soon as Rose was placed in his arms, she began crying fiercely.

Of course, being the idiot he was, he passed her on to the next closest person, rather than her mom.

And that person was Melinda.

Rose was instantly calm again, and Melinda was instantly in love.

Of course, she and Andrew wanted kids at one time. After Bahrain...it just didn't seem like she could ever be loved by a child, not when she killed one so easily.

But Rose...she was stunning. And she looked at Melinda in a way that no one ever had...with innocence.

"I don't think she likes me." Phil muttered, but he reached his finger out and let it get caught in her tiny fist, a smile on his face all the while.

"Well I wouldn't like you either if you almost dropped me." Melinda muttered, shooting him a glare.

She carefully walked Rose back to her parents, and almost begrudgingly gave her back to Jemma.

"Come on, let's give them a moment." Phil began ushering everyone out of the room, although they grumbled and complained the whole while.

"May-" Melinda stopped in the doorframe when she heard her name, and turned back to Jemma.

"I'm glad you were here." The gratitude was thick in the young girl's voice.

Melinda smiled genuinely and said "You're going to be a great mom."

And she was right.


	17. Tea Party

A/N: Yay! People are sending me more requests! That makes me super happy!

A guest asked for some Phillinda/Daisy family action, and I'm inclined to make that happen. I've had the idea for this little chat in my head for a while, but I didn't know how to write it.

Set sometime during season 2 or 3, I guess? I don't really know…

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Daisy found herself staring wide-eyed at the ceiling around three in the morning.

Again.

She groaned and, knowing she wasn't going to get back to sleep, rolled out of bed and grabbed her sweater from the nightstand.

The base was quiet as she stepped out of her room. Her slipper-clad feel barely made any noise as she padded down the hall to the kitchen.

It seemed, however, that someone beat her there.

May paused, tea kettle in hand, as the young girl made her way to a barstool and plopped down tiredly

"Can't sleep?" She finished pouring her cup of tea.

"Nope." Daisy sighed heavily. She watched her S.O move over to the cabinet and grab a second mug.

"I'm so used to having to watch him." Melinda commented quietly. She knew Daisy felt the same.

Phil had spent so many hours carving his symbols into the wall, most of the time during the middle of the night. Not having to wake up to watch him anymore was both a relief and a nuisance. Now they couldn't sleep through the night.

But something else was on Daisy's mind, something that had been since she first found out about the symbols. For the millionth time since they had returned from that temple, she wondered if Coulson really could have gone the same way that Garret had. What would they have done?

Daisy offered May a groggy smile when her mug was set in front of her. She shrugged off her sweater and lay it across the back of the barstool.

"Something's been on my mind." Daisy spoke hesitantly. Of course, three in the morning might not have been the best time to bring it up, but what else were they going to talk about?

"What is it?"

"Coulson, was he-" Daisy broke off, frustrated at her lack of words, "What would we have done if-if he went off the deep end."

"He had a plan." May took a sip of her tea, but Daisy just stared at her wide eyed.

"He what?" When May didn't say anything, Daisy's heart stopped in her chest. "May, what did he order you to do?"

Melinda sat her mug down on the counter angrily. "He didn't order me to do anything. I made the choice myself." Her jaw was tight, eyes narrowed.

"May-"

"Listen to me." May's voice was low, but the anger faded. "Coulson is my best friend."

The revelation was surprising, coming from her.

"Yes, he asked me to intervene if it became necessary. I tried to talk him off the ledge. I _tried_ to come up with another option." She looked down at the mug in her hands. "But honestly, I wouldn't have had the strength to do it, if it came to that."

Daisy watched her, watched her jaw clench with the confession. If she knew May as well as she thought she did, she knew that Melinda would think she was weak for not being able to go through with it.

"It was unfair for me to ask you to do that." Apparently, they weren't the only ones who were awake. Phil leaned against the door frame of the kitchen, hands shoved in the pockets of his sweatpants.

"It was unfair on both of you." He moved into the kitchen slowly. "I guess I never really apologized for that, did I?"

"Phil-" Melinda tried to interject, but he just gave her a tired look.

"I am sorry." He said quietly, looking at both of them. "Daisy, I kept things from you about what saved your life. And May-," He broke off, looking down at his feet.

"Water under the bridge, AC." Daisy, always being the optimist, gave him a small smile.

And, although she was a little irritated with him keeping everything internalized, she was happy that for the time being, things were normal. Mom and Dad could actually be in the same room without being mad or anxious about something.

She watched him reach in the cupboard for a mug. May handed him a tea bag (his favorite kind) and he poured himself a cup of tea.

After a moment of quiet, he looked up with that small smile of his. "I just wanted to thank you both, for everything."

May nodded silently, and Daisy smiled above the rim of her mug, before finishing off the last of her tea.

"Well, as much as I enjoy being awake at three am, I'm going to head back to bed." She tossed her tea bag in the trash and placed her mug in the sink. "I'll see you in the morning."

They both said a quiet goodnight as she exited.

Halfway down the hall, she felt a chill and realized that she had left her sweater on the back of her barstool. She turned with a sigh and headed back towards the kitchen.

However, when she got to the door she paused, watching.

Coulson sat on a barstool, May leaning on the counter across from him, fingers interlaced loosely on the counter. They spoke quietly, and Daisy couldn't hear what they said. But, nevertheless, she smiled a bit to herself and left them in private.

Her sweater was all but forgotten.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I hope this wasn't too cheesy...


	18. Confrontation

A/N: This was originally part of a quartet of stories that I decided to pull out and fabricate into a one shot. It WILL be angst-y and there are spoilers for season 5 so be warned.

 _Basically-May confronts Coulson about him keeping secrets from the team._

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Coulson was avoiding her.

He knew that if he saw her, she would look at him with that look. The one that told him they needed to talk.

So he retreated back to his room after the wedding, avoiding that particular conversation.

Of course, she found him anyway. May didn't even need to knock, she just stood in the doorway, watching him fold and refold his clothes in an effort to steady his hands.

"I'm fine." He told her.

"Are you?" Curse her for seeing right through him.

He stopped, set aside his shirt, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"When you started seeing the writing, you came to me to make a plan." She said quietly, still just standing there. "You tried everything to get me alone so we could talk about what I should do if you went crazy. And then," she took a breath,"you asked me to shoot you in the head."

He winced at her brutal honesty.

"But now, you can't even look at me." As if trying to be defiant, he looked up at her, blue eyes meeting chocolate ones.

"What Fitz said…at the ceremony…got me thinking." He finally spoke, folding his arms across his chest. "I really don't deserve you."

"Phil-" She looked like she wanted to slap him.

"No, listen." He stood from the bed, trying to defend himself. "I have asked you to do some awful things. And Daisy was right, I make decisions for this team that could be life or death. And you all do whatever I say. I don't deserve you. I didn't want you all to have my death on your shoulders, because you don't deserve that. "

She was stumped for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"So what?" She asked, stepping into the room. "So you go through this _alone_? You die, _alone_?"

"Melinda-"

"Phil, you're being an idiot." She put both hands on her hips, a sure sign she was pissed.

"Am I?" He asked, stepping closer. "If I hadn't brought you onto that plane in the first place, would you have gotten hurt? Would you have lost Andrew? Or Ward?"

She looked shell-shocked, like he had slapped her across the face.

"I put MYSELF on that plane, remember?" She rarely raised her voice, but this was one of those times. "I told you at the very beginning that the only thing I wanted to do was protect you. _That_ is why I'm here." She poked him hard in the chest. "I knew the risks, and I came along anyway because _dammit_ Phil I had already lost everything."

"I didn't ask you to protect me-"

"I WENT TO YOUR FUNERAL."

The confession left him breathless, like a rock had been thrown and shattered his chest.

He looked at her, wide eyed, and he saw something in there. Something _broken._ And in that moment he realized just how much of an idiot he had been.

He had pushed her away, skirting this intimate dance but never willing to make the first step because he was afraid of hurting her. But, he hadn't realized that staying away was only making her suffer.

"When Fury told me you were alive," she crossed her arms across her chest, her voice dropping to just above a murmur, "I didn't believe him. I guess I had been hoping that it wasn't real for so long that…"

She broke off, unsure how to finish her thought.

"I'm scared." She looked, surprised at his words. "I don't want to be alone, May. I just thought it would be better if I did, maybe it would be easier to move on because I _hate_ goodbyes."

He looked like a scared little boy.

"Phil," She stepped forward and gripped the sides of his jacket in her hands, bunching the fabric and pulling him close, "I'm right here, I always have been. I don't plan on leaving you alone anytime soon." Her gaze didn't leave his face. "We've been through too much for me to walk away."

He got that goofy grin on his face, and rested his hands on top of hers. "Oh come on now. It wasn't all bad, was it?"

"No, not all bad." She shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Some of it was actually kind of good."

"Some of it?" His arms wrapped around her waist, fingers folding behind her back.

"Yeah. The space part sucked, though." She laughed as he kissed her, a sound he had not heard in a very long time.

"Are we okay?" She said when they pulled apart, hand resting on his cheek.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I think we're gonna be just fine."

OoOoOoO

A/N: Whenever I do anything angsty, it almost always ends in a happy ending. Sometimes I think I'm too much of an optimist….


	19. Something Just Like This-Request

A/N: Another request incoming!

ACSkyefan88 requested a Phillinda one shot based off the lyrics of "Something Just Like This" by Coldplay.

I've never really don't a song-based fic before (mostly because I really don't like it when characters spontaneously burst into song) BUT I will do a fic BASED on the lyrics if asked.

This is set shortly after 5x12...like just after (similar to the time period of the previous fic)

So….yeah. sit back and I hope you enjoy.

OoOoOoO

 _-And Superman unrolls  
A suit before he lifts  
But I'm not the kind of person that it fits-_

If she had to describe Phil Coulson in three words, they would be: impossible, irritating, and reckless. At least, that's how she felt at the moment.

Watching him step out of that elevator, cocky smile on his face...well it only pissed her off further.

She didn't stay, didn't want to. She turned on her heels and made her way down to her room to change clothes because there was no way in _hell_ she was going to burn off that anger by just doing Tai chi.

Instead, she found a punching bag and took her frustration out on that.

 _-She said where'd you wanna go? How_ _much you wanna risk?-_

With each jab into the bag, she felt her anger ebb away, until she was left with nothing but a little annoyance and a really bad ache in her thigh.

She cursed her injury and took a step back to grab her water. However, a hand already held it out for her.

Phil leaned against a stool a few feet away from the bag, arms crossed over his chest, watching her.

"How long have you been there?" She asked, then took a swig.

"Long enough." He shrugged, standing upright. "You're angry?"

His complete ignorance only made her want to stab him. Considering, however, that murdering him would be the opposite of helpful, she decided to take it out on the bag. "Wow, okay." He said sarcastically. He watched her, waiting for her to say something else, but she remained silent. The only noise in the room was her puffs of air and her fists.

"Does it have something to do with me dying? Or is is because I volunteered to throw Fitz's magic ball into the space-time-crack-thing without talking it through?" He was trying to joke with her, but she ignored it. Instead, she stepped away from the bag and began removing her gloves far more harshly than she probably needed to.

"Melinda-"

"Don't." She stopped him, grabbing a sweat towel. "I'm not in the mood."

"Sometimes hard sacrifices have to be made. I just-"

"Will you stop for two seconds with the hero crap? Please?" Her voice raised.

"What hero crap?"

"It was suicide." She fired back."You knew that walking in. But _oh you're dying_ so it doesn't matter? Suddenly you're invincible?"

"Melinda, I really don't-"

"You're not a super soldier, Phil." God did he really not understand?

"You're not a god, or a green monster, or a billionaire with a flying metal suit." Her voice had grown quiet. "You're a man, with a family who is trying to protect you _and you won't let them."_

 _-I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gift-_

He stepped closer to her.

"I know." He said quietly, and despite her yelling at him only a few moments earlier, she raised one eyebrow, a flash of humor catching across her brown irises.

"I'm not a superhero. But I'm surrounded by them." She opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke before she could. "I've got a girl who can cause earthquakes, two of the smartest minds SHIELD has ever known, Yoyo, and Mack-my _God_ he's a beast. And I've got you." He finished haltingly. "I'm just a man. I'm surrounded by greatness and...it's intimidating. I'm so...human."

Her gaze softened.

"We don't want you to try and be some big sacrificer, Phil." She stepped forward with a sigh so she was looking him in the eyes. " _You_ brought us together. Not SHIELD, not Fury. _You._ A plain old, boring human."

"Old? Boring?" He stepped closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and suddenly pulling her forward, much to her chagrin. "Melinda, you must not know me at all."

She chuckled despite the fact that she was drenched in sweat and still a little mad at him. But inside, her heart raced at his proximity.

"Look," she forced him to grow serious, gripping the sides of his jacket so he was looking down at her,"I want you to be _alive_. I couldn't care less if you were a hero or a history teacher. I'm sure the others feel the same, and we want nothing but to keep you safe. So will you _please_ stop being an idiot?"

- _A superhero. A fairytale bliss-_

"I can't promise anything." He teased. But then his face grew serious. "I am sorry, May."

"You'd better be."

His eyes caught hers. He leaned in, and kissed her chastely, a ghost of his lips on hers. His hands found her waist and he was kissing her again, deeper, drawing her in and not wanting her to leave.

When they did break apart, he barely kept any distance between them, feeling her cool breath on his face, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Am I still boring?" He asked quietly with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. He was never going to let her live that down, and it filled her with both dread and tantalizing excitement.

"Shut up." And she pressed her lips against his once more.

 _-Just something I can turn to,_

 _Somebody I can miss_

 _I want something just like this-_

OoOoOoO

A/N: Well that was interesting...I've never done a song fic before...let me know what you think


	20. First Case Scenario

A/N: Hey y'all!

I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL SAW IT, BUT PHIL COULSON WILL BE IN CAPTAIN MARVEL AND I'M ONLY FREAKING OUT A LITTLE BIT

Anyways…this is based on that first case that May and Phil worked in in Sausalito (which is in California btw…I had to look it up)

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

He tried _not_ to watch her.

Instead, his eyes drifted around the room, both scanning it and avoiding looking at her. His fingers tapped against his cup, his foot danced under the table.

"Phil," her voice was barely above a whisper, even while on comms, "don't look so nervous."

He sat closer to the bar, coffee in hand. If he looked out the corner of his eye, he could see her across the way, sitting in the window. She dressed so casual compared to how she was at the academy, and this was his first assignment…all of it made him nervous.

He could see their target, Gerald McAvoy, down the bar a bit, nursing his coffee like the intel said he did every morning. He was the owner of the joint, and rumor had it that he had a rather interesting object in his possession.

Phil could also see two guards, conspicuously standing next to their boss, hands folded in front of them.

The man stood suddenly, and went to use the restroom, guard dogs following close behind to stand in front of the door.

 _Now._

There was a sudden crash as Melinda stood rapidly, hitting the waiter and causing his tray to go flying back. Porcelain mugs fell to the ground and shattered in pieces.

The chaos did its job. The guards jerked their heads towards the noise, and Phil grabbed the man's mug. Once he swiped it against his napkin to get finger prints, he set it back down and disappeared into the back room.

The baker took no notice as he ascended the stairs to the apartment above the café. Despite its old fashioned look, it was rather high tech in its security capabilities. He placed the napkin against the panel and the door slid open easily.

Finding the hidden panel above the fireplace was child's play. He opened the panel and removed the box containing the 0-8-4, then retreated back out the apartment.

"May, you copy? I have it." There was complete silence on coms. Not really that concerning…she must have been talking with the waiter.

He descended the stairs and made his way out the back, despite protests from the baker.

Phil breathed a sigh of relief as he got into the back alley. Seeing as how they had no extraction and no exit strategy, they were doing pretty well for themselves.

Out of nowhere, he was being knocked to the ground, and the world went black.

OoOoOoO

Melinda jerked as she hit cold water, eyes shooting open at the sudden rush of water into her mouth. She kicked, fought to return to the surface, but _something_ was holding her down. She just barely got a breath of air before she was dragged back under.

She forced herself to stop panicking, and bent over, trying to undo the weight that was tied to her legs. It was easier to slip out of her shoes, and she kicked, breaking the surface just as her lungs began to scream.

She could see the boat where it was moving down back to land, which was quite the distance away. Night was beginning to fall, and the lights of the golden gate bridge could be seen in the distance. She was _really_ far out.

"Well, shit."

OoOoOoO

Phil had never been tortured before, and he already hated it.

Academy life had taught him how to hold up in intense situations, but this was…different. This was rather painful. His whole body throbbed, his eye was blackened, and he would be surprised if his leg weren't broken.

From what he could see out of his swollen eye, he was in a warehouse of some kind.

 _Near the water._ He could smell the bay despite the thick outer walls.

He fiddled behind his back once again, trying to undo the ropes binding his hands to the stool before the bozos came back. He could feel it loosening, but grew frustrated when it didn't budge.

 _Melinda._ His thoughts drifted back to his partner, who was who-knows-where. Had she made it out? Did she get killed?

The last question caused him to wince, and not from the pain. Of course, he barely knew the agent, but he still felt responsible. She had a reputation. She was going somewhere. Agent Carter herself had stuck up for the agent, as had Fury. He felt so stupid for letting this happen to her.

As he thought, he managed to get the ropes loose enough, but kept his hands behind his back as McAvoy came strolling in.

"Still standing, I see. Or sitting, I should say." He laughed as though he told a joke. When he leaned over Coulson, peering at him, Phil could sell the scent of stale coffee and cigarette smoke.

He reached behind him, and was handed a thick metal pipe by one of his goonies dressed in black.

He swung, but it never hit.

Coulson grabbed the pipe midair, and pushed it harshly, nailing McAvoy in the chest. He grabbed the pipe with two hands, and shoved it up, nailing him a second time in the face and effectively breaking his nose.

He then launched the metal pipe at the goon, hitting him in the face and knocking him back a few paces. While the guy was distracted, Phil nabbed the gun from McAvoy's belt and nailed a shot at the goon's chest.

Quickly, while they were both down, he undid the restraints on his feet and stood from the chair. Despite the radiating pain in his left leg, he still managed to grab the barely-conscious McAvoy and push him against the wall.

"The girl who was with me-where is she?" When the guy laughed, Phil felt rage boil up in his chest. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"I don't know. Probably in the bay about now." He smiled through bloody teeth, and it just made Phil all the angrier. He whacked the guy in the head once more, letting him crumple to the ground unconscious.

"Comms." He muttered to himself. He needed comms.

Moving out of the room he was currently in, he crept along a quiet hallway, not wanting to draw out more goons than he could handle. He cleared one room, then another. Finally, he reached the office at the end, where two big guards held massive AR-15s. He took them both out before they even knew he was there.

Sitting on the desk was him comm unit, along with his jacket and gun. He placed the comm in his ear.

"Anyone there?"

"Agent Coulson. Good to hear your voice." It wasn't Melinda, but rather Agent Fresco. He was slightly disappointed with that fact.

"Have you heard from Melinda?"

"She isn't with you?" He replied questioningly. "We lost her comms almost five hours ago. We've been looking for her since."

"She's somewhere in the bay." Coulson replied, he was creeping along the hall once more. "McAvoy said they tossed her. Can you see my location now?"

"Yeah we've got you. Extracting in ten. Be warned, there are more active hostiles in your area." Fresco signed off, and the comms went quiet.

Phil crept down the hall and neared the exit, checking the outside for hostiles before creeping around the front of the building. It seemed clear, but he kept to the side of the building just in case.

In the distance, he could hear the whirring of a helicopter, and his heart seemed to get a little lighter in his chest. However, he didn't feel safe until he was actually in the aircraft.

Almost immediately, he moved to a senior agent. "We need to find Melinda. They've stranded her in the bay somewhere."

"I know, but our priority was to make sure you were okay first. That leg needs to be looked at."

He helped Phil into a seat.

"I'm fine. Melinda-"

"We'll go find her, sir. There's a search party already out as we speak." The agent replied. He sat down next to Phil and watched out the door as they neared the water, hovering above and training their spotlights.

It took half an hour. With the entire SHIELD fleet searching, they were bound to found her.

He didn't find any relief until she was on the helicopter.

She trembled, lips blue. Through the entire ride, she curled into him, trying to find warmth in her wet clothes. He draped a towel around her shoulders and pulled her in close, letting her fall asleep on him until they reached HQ.

Someone must have been looking out for them, because they were kept near one another in the med bay. For the next two days, he watched her sleep, still trying to get warm.

When she finally woke up, he was dozing. The pain meds they gave him for his broken femur were strong and made him drowsy.

He woke when he felt her staring, and looked over to her with a smirk.

"Hey you."

"How long was I out?" Was her first question. He frowned.

"A few days."

"And the o-8-4?"

"Lost." He shrugged. "Fresco told me that someone leaked to McAvoy that we were coming. It was an ambush." She nodded, not saying anything for a moment. When she finally did speak, she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"You look like hell." She commented, noticing the black eye for the first time. "Are you in pain?"

"These drugs are reaaalllllyyyy strong." Phil replied with a smile. He was about to doze off again.

"Phil," She rolled over, propping her head on her elbow and looking at him,"are you still looking for a partner?"

"A partner? Well, I hadn't really thought about it." He forced his eyes open and looked over at her. "After that shit show we just went through, who would want to be my partner?" He said it with a chuckle, but quite frankly he was worried. His first major mission and he failed miserably.

"I would." She said it so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

"Seriously?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Who else is gonna take the job after this fiasco?" She said it jokingly, but in a way, she had a point.

Agent Melinda May as his partner.

He quite liked that idea.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Just a heads up...posting is going to be iffy for the next few weeks as I finish school. Please be patient with me! I love you all!


	21. Throwing Twinkies

A/N: So I had an epiphany (of course, as I was trying to fall asleep) and I realized something.

As I have read through recent fics about the whole "Phillina-kiss-acknowledgement-conversation" I've noticed that they almost all start with a Phillinda confrontation, slide in some cuteness, and a kiss to round it off. I'm guilty of it too (and I love these fics, don't get me wrong)

So then I got to thinking, what if Melinda heard about her own kiss from someone that wasn't Phil…

Annnnnd long story long I came up with this short fic. Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Melinda liked the pantry.

It was quiet, the inner workings of the lighthouse creating a low hum.

She liked doing inventory, because it meant solitude and a task that wasn't tracking someone down or fighting.

 _I'm starting to sound like an old lady_ , she thought to herself. She pulled down the box of Twinkies and shook her head. _Deke must have gotten into these._

She marked it on her sheet and set the box on the table next to her. That was another thing she liked, spreadsheets.

"Hey May." Daisy called as she entered, not wanting to catch her by surprise. Even with the fear dimension closed for now, they were still jittery on that level of the base.

"Hey." May tilted her head, acknowledging Daisy's presence without turning around.

"Jemma sent me down here. She needs more gauze." Daisy strolled languidly into the pantry, inquisitive eyes on her former SO's back.

"I'll bring it up when I'm done." May replied, eyes not leaving her sheet.

There was a hum of a reply, but Daisy didn't leave. Knowing the girl, May figured she probably had something on her mind.

"What is it?" She set down the papers and turned, eyes softening.

"I just...I was wondering something." Daisy sighed and lowered her arms. "I know things got really tense there for a while and we were in space and everything but...is everything okay? With you and Coulson, I mean…"

Melinda frowned at Daisy, completely confused as to why she was bringing that up all of a sudden. She and Coulson had their moment when he lied to them about dying, sure, but they were still incredibly close. Where was this coming from?

"Everything's fine, Daisy." Melinda replied, but she still looked confused. She folded her arms across her chest. "Why do you ask?"

"Well it's just, before the framework, you guys looked so...I don't know. And then you came back and it seems like nothing has changed."

"I still don't know what you're getting at." Melinda replied, but she sighed and let her arms drop to her sides. "We took a step back. It was his idea." She relented that small bit of info, and Daisy's jaw hung open.

"I KNEW IT!"

"What are you-"

"To take a step back implies that you took a step forward! I KNEW something weird happened with the Maybot!"

"Maybot? Daisy, what ARE you talking about?"

"Look, obviously he took a step back because something happened with the robot. Think about it."

May was still very confused, but at the same time, the girl had a point. It explained a lot, why Phil drank the Haig, and why he was so squirrelly around her when they got out of the framework.

 _Well, then you give me mouth to mouth._

 _Oh god. Is that what…._

There was a sick feeling rising up in her stomach, but she pushed it aside, maintained her stoic exterior.

She knew it was a success when Daisy's face fell slightly.

"Look, whatever happened between my LMD and Coulson is his story to tell." was all she said. She picked up the sheet again, a dismissal for Daisy. However, she didn't leave.

At least, not before mischievously replying "I bet you he kissed her."

She just dodged the flying Twinkie that Melinda lobbed at her. Her laughter echoed down the hall as she disappeared, the twinkie falling to the ground where it had missed.

Melinda fought the blush rising to her face, and resigned herself to having a very necessary conversation with Phil when she had the chance.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I had fun with that…

Also, what I said earlier, that was in no way insulting any other fanfics. Like I said, I've done it before and I love those fics, I just wanted to try something different.

Hope y'all enjoyed!


	22. Ten Years Later

A/N: I don't know if you have seen the video, but for the 100th episode they did a "Women of SHIELD" roundtable…during the video, each of the actresses were asked where they want their characters to be ten years down the line.

This is a series of mini one shots based off their responses…

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Fitz frowned, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and then frowned again.

"Pllllleeeeaaaasssseeee?" The little girl drew out, standing on tippy toes. Her wide eyes pleaded with him.

Fitz looked at her, and then the puppy, and back to her. He should say no. It was on the tip of his tongue. Jemma would _freak._ And with a baby on the way…

"I'll take care of him, I PROMISE." She emphasized.

He sighed, knowing he had lost to her big dark eyes the second she started pleading with him. Plus, the little guy was adorable, and Fitz always wanted a dog.

"Alright." He relented. She squealed, jumping up and down, curls bouncing as she did so. He smiled at her reaction, but a sense of dread filled him as he pulled out his wallet.

" _Seriously?"_ Jemma placed her hands on her hips when they entered the house. The puppy, now known as Rudy, was being carried by the little girl. "You were supposed to be looking at lawnmowers!"

"I knoooow but they were having an adoption fair at the petstore next door and come on-" Fitz took the dog from the little girl and held him close to Jemma. "He's adorable."

"Yes he is but-"

"I'll take care of him, I promise." The little girl said again, this time her voice was softer.

Jemma looked with a sigh between her and her husband, and then groaned. "Fine, but if he pees in the house, he's gone."

With a shake of her head, she disappeared into the kitchen, and Fitz high fived his daughter happily when she was gone.

OoOoOoO

Daisy paced.

She played with the sleeves of her sweater, walking back and forth across the carpet in sock-clad feet.

"Anything?" Jordan peeked his head into their bedroom.

"Not yet." She shook her head.

He moved over and stopped her pacing by taking both her hands into his. "Don't freak out."

"I'm not freaking out." She replied. The timer beeped on the nightstand, and her heart jumped in her chest. "Ok, now I'm freaking out."

"Daisy, relax." He let her hands go so she could walk over to the dresser. He waited a minute as she looked, but the anxiety was killing him. "So?"

She turned, slowly, jaw hanging open slightly and the small stick in her outstretched hand.

"I'm pregnant."

They both just looked at one another a moment, the weight of her words filling the air.

"You're pregnant?" His eyes were wide. A laugh escaped his lips. When she nodded, he ran to her, hugging her tightly and lifting her off the ground. His lips captured hers as he lowered to the ground.

"I've gotta tell my mom." He laughed breathlessly.

"I've gotta tell May." She replied. The seemingly-permanent smile on her face took his breath away. He rested a hand on her cheek, leaned his forehead to rest against hers.

"We should probably wait to tell them." He murmured playfully.

"Probably." She kissed him again, tenderly. One of his hands wound into her hair, the other resting on the bump that was not quite there yet.

OoOoOoO

"Again."

The two boys looked at one another and returned to their starting placed on the mat, gloved fists automatically raising to their faces.

The boxing coach blew a whistle, and the two began trading punches. Darius, the smallest of the two, watched Helena, and where she placed her hands. She was taller than him. He could use that to his advantage.

He sidestepped her first punch, and used the opening to jab her in the ribs. Then ducked as her fist moved to his head. 4

Two punches straight to her abdomen. Back to protect his face. She was doubled over slightly now, adjusting for the height difference between them. He aimed for the midsection, she caught it, batted his arm to the side, and landed two hard punches to his abdomen that sent him skittering back.

Before he could retaliate, the whistle was being blown.

"What-" Darius cut himself off when he looked at who had interrupted their fight. "Elena?"

"Agent Rodriguez!" The two fighters scurried out of the ring and over two the agent, who was watching them, hands folded behind her back.

"I was watching. Impressive." She nodded. "Darius, good job using your height to your advantage. Helena, you adjusted well to his attacks. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for training this morning."

"That's alright." Helena replied. "Where were you, anyway?"

Elena's expression turned mischievous. "Talking with an old friend." She brought two file folders out from behind her back. "Darius, Helena, welcome to the SHIELD academy."

OoOoOoO

Melinda waited rather impatiently, arms folded across her chest, permanent scowl on her face.

She took a deep breath as the sliding doors opened, and immediately began keeping pace with Phil as he arrived to the Hub. Although, most Hub employees had gone home for the night, aside from security.

"How did it go?"

"Bad." He replied shortly. Based on the look he was giving her, she could tell he was pissed.

"Agents Minor and Andrews are steady, they're in medical." She replied. "Thought you could use some good news."

He paused suddenly, and she almost ran into him. "What time is it? It's so quiet here."

"It's two in the morning, Phil." She replied, smiling despite the serious look on his face.

His gaze softened, and he reached out to interlace his fingers through hers. "You should go home, get some sleep."

"You've been up longer than I have." She replied. "Agent Worth asked me to tell you that debrief can wait until morning."

"Good." He replied with a sigh. His exhaustion was evident on his face. "But I am starving. Can we grab food?"

She nodded. "Food is good. Go grab your bag. I'll meet you at the car."

"Breakfast in an hour?" He kissed her chastely.

"Looking forward to it."

OoOoOoO

A/N: if you haven't seen the video, I HIGHLY recommend watching it. I actually wrote an alternative one shot based on this but it felt SUPER cheesy and I didn't like it…although, if you guys still want to read it, I'll post it for you.

This week starts hell week, so I might not be posting as frequently this week as I normally do. Thanks for reading!

PS: Pugs are freaking AWESOME and I will fight anyone who says otherwise…you know who you are….


	23. Slap Heard Round the World

A/N: Hey guys! Nothing says "avoiding responsibilities" like writing fanfiction instead of a term paper…

ANYWAYS, this chapter is Melinda and Fury's talk about the whole "sike Phil's not really dead" thing

And since I want to be doubly nice, it may have a small avenger cameo...I really like the idea of Romanov and May being friends

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Her hands gripped the iron railing so hard that she imagined the metal crunching under her hands. Her eyes were a million miles away, jaw set.

She just barely registered the soft fall of footsteps.

"Melinda…" Natasha sighed, noting the older agent's statue-like stance. "I am so sorry."

Natasha had known the agent a while, or at least, knew her well enough to see how close she and Coulson had become. Even after her confusing and yet divisive transfer to administration, that friendship never faltered. Coulson had talked about her often.

Melinda said nothing. She just stared out the massive windows overlooking the ground floor of the Triskellion. They were in the upper levels of the base, where the halls were quieter. Barton liked to escape up there when he needed room to see.

Natasha stepped up next to her friend, and gently lay her hand over the clenched fist of her fellow agent. Her fingers were freezing, knuckles white.

"Melinda, Fury sent me down here to get you. He wants to talk in his office." It was why she came to talk with Melinda, aside from offering her sympathy.

May moved then, hands releasing the railing. She half expected it to be crumpled bits of metal, but the bar remained normal.

Her eyes Natasha's briefly, and in them, Nat could see only pain. She hated it, seeing her friend so...so broken. That was a foreign word, especially for the cavalry. Natasha, of course, didn't know where the name came from, but it had to have been bad for May to get that nickname.

Melinda walked to the elevator, hands swinging uselessly at her side. Once the doors were closed, she let out a shaky breath, one that she didn't know she had been holding. She gulped back her sobs, kept her eyes from crying. Now was not the time.

Once on the correct floor, she moved almost robotically into Fury's office. He sat in his chair, just waiting for her. There was no formality to it. She sat across the desk from him, and forced herself to meet his eyes.

"You've had quite the year, haven't you?" He said into the quiet. He watched her lack of reaction, feeling guilt shoot through him.

"What did you want?" Her voice was quiet and stony.

He took a deep breath and stood from his desk. "Computer, activate privacy protocol."

Melinda looked up, confused, as the window shades began lowering and the room went dark.

"I wanted to tell you before the funeral, but I never had the time." He shook his head.

"Tell me what?"

He fought with himself for a second on how to say the words caught in his throat.

"Aww to hell with it." He grumbled, knowing better than most how much she hated sugar coating. "Phil Coulson is alive."

The words were like a slap across the face to Melinda. She jolted up, frowned at him.

But she knew Fury, and she knew when he was telling the truth, and he was. The look on his face was filled with both dread and sympathy, and something else she couldn't quite decipher.

She stood from her chair slowly, the room getting fuzzy around her. "What?" She bit out.

She wasn't yelling, but her tone was far scarier. Her heart thudded in her chest, wanting to hope but being to afraid to.

He moved over to his desk and grabbed a SHIELD file, one that was labeled _Classified, Level 10,_ and handed it to her. She took it with shaking hands, leafed through it with bated breath. Most of it was redacted, but the message was clear. He had been resurrected.

Her hands fell to her sides, clutching the file as though it were a lifeline. Her eyes were wide, thoughts going a thousand miles a minute. _He was alive?_

For every part of her that wanted to smile, there was an equal part that wanted to punch something.

"Melinda-"

He didn't get the chance to finish. He didn't even register that she had slapped him until pain blossomed out from his cheek.

"What the HELL, Nick?"

If it had been anybody else, he would have shot them on the spot. However, this was Melinda May...a very pissed off Melinda May at that. He needed her skills, and her relationship with Coulson, to make this work.

She looked like she wanted to hit him again, and he was about to let her, but instead she took a step back and gripped onto the back of the chair, feeling like her chest had caved in.

"Melinda, I need you on this with me. I need your help." Fury didn't like to plead, and he didn't do it often.

She looked at him with narrow eyes, and he worried that she might say no.

"WIth what?" Her tone was still harsh, but the rage was slowly fading.

"The drug we used to bring him back is volatile at best. I need someone he trusts to keep an eye on him, and you fit my bill."

"What do you want me to do?" She replied, her voice softening.

"Phil has been given the authorization to create a mobile command unit. I need you to create a preemptive list of candidates-a doctor, engineer, and a specialist-to help you, should the drug begin causing mental or physical deterioration."

"What drug is it?"

"That's classified." He replied. She fought the urge to hit him again.

"Let me guess, you want me back in the field." She watched him coldly, waiting for his response.

"I know what happened in Bahrain," He felt her stiffen, but continued anyway. "I know about your...reluctance to join the fight. I just need you to be there in some capacity, even if it is just driving the bus." He watched the gears turn in her head.

"A bus?"

"A really nice plane. I know you like to fly." His smirk was kind while he waited for her to reply.

"I can't tell him, can I?" Her question made him sigh, and he folded his hands behind his back.

"No. You cannot tell anyone."

"And if he figures it out?" She asked, eyebrows raising. "Come on, Fury, you really think he won't try to investigate?"

Fury looked at her with a small, secretive smile. "So you're in?"

She sighed heavily and folded her arms across her chest. "On one condition." He waited expectantly. "I won't lie to him." He wanted to protest, but she cut him off. "I will tell him the truth if he asks, or I won't say anything, but I. Will. Not. Lie." She emphasized each word.

"Agreed." He said after a moment.

She opened the file again, skimmed through it for a moment, then shut it again. "Who else knows?"

"Me, you, Hill. Plus, the doctors who worked on him. The other members of the unit will find out only when they are accepted."

He moved over to his desk and pulled out a tablet, uploaded with the files of thousands of candidates for the unit.

"And Phil? Where is he?" Despite the seriousness of the situation, her heart lifted in her chest at the prospect of getting to see him. With the Avengers initiative picking up, they rarely saw one another before his 'death'.

"On his way to Hill's office. He's excited to see you again, Agent May." Fury handed her the tablet. "There's a plane on the roof that will take you over there."

Butterflies flew around in her stomach, and she disguised the excitement by glancing through the files on the tablet.

"Melinda, you are one of the few people I trust with this." She looked up from the tablet at his words, eyes holding his. "Keep him safe."

She nodded, resolve settling into her bones.

But as she exited his office, face returning to it's statue-like expression, she couldn't help but think _What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

 _OoOoOoO_

 _A/N:_ I feel like if anyone could slap Fury and get away with it, it would be May...just sayin


	24. Three Little Words

A/N: PLEASE TELL ME YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE NEW EPISODE BECAUSE IM FREAKING OOOUUUTTTT

if you haven't, MAJOR spoilers ahead.

Anyways...ignore my geek out. Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

" _No. You don't get to MAKE that decision alone. That decision is made with the people who love you-"_

" _May-"_

" _And that's me. I love you."_

The words repeated over and over in his head, like a skipping record. His hands remained frozen at his side, his eyes wide, staring at where she had been standing just a moment before.

There was a chill running down his spine. The uneven thump of his heart pounded in his ears. For a moment, he was worried he might pass out again.

 _Had she meant it?_

" _I thought that would shut you up."_

The fingers of his artificial hand twitched. The urge to punch something was rising in his gut.

She had to have understood why he did it...why he went with Hale so easily. It was to protect the team...protect Daisy.

The mantra sounded hollow in his ears, and he realized then that he had been lying to himself.

She was right.

He found that Melinda being right happened more often than not, but this was different.

He was dying. And he had come to terms with it…

Suddenly, it wasn't May on his mind, but Rosalind. Watching her bleed out, the life leaving her eyes had been one of the most painful experiences of his life.

Having May go through that...well she didn't need anymore heartbreak.

He sighed heavily and knew that he had to go find her, before she destroyed something in anger or took off with his plane.

Plane. He suddenly knew exactly where she was.

The plane was dark and empty compared to what it had been a year ago. He made his way through the fractured wreckage of the inside and up to the cockpit, where she sat staring out the front window, absentmindedly messing with her fingers.

He didn't know what to say at first, how to apologise, so he plopped in the copilot seat and took a deep breath. There was silence, heavy with awkwardness, and shame on his part.

He watched as her jaw unclenched and tightened, as though she were fighting back screaming at him.

"You're right." He put it out there in the quiet. "I'm an idiot."

She said nothing, a silent protest. He hadn't realized until now just how pissed off she was, and another wave of shame rolled over him.

"How long did it take you to figure _that_ out?" She replied sarcastically, but the anger remained on her features.

Figuring an apology wouldn't cut it, he sighed. "You know, when Rosalind died, I was crushed."

That statement only seemed to piss her off more.

"Here she was, this person I thought I could love one day, and she was bleeding out." He looked down at his folded hands, ignoring the glare she shot him. "So when Ghost Rider left me, and I realized I was dying, I panicked. I didn't want you to...to have to watch that happen to me. _That's_ why I wanted to take a step back."

"You are a selfish bastard." His head jerked up in surprise, and he met her eyes. The anger had faded some, which he was happy to see. "Speeding up the process won't make it any easier. Getting murdered in some secret Hydra base _won't make it easier_. But you know what makes it harder?" She turned her whole body to him. "You pushing us away and making suicidal decisions on your own."

He didn't speak. Phil had learned earlier that interrupting was a bad idea.

She turned back toward the window, moving her body away from him, and he suddenly missed her proximity.

It clicked then.

This woman, who had been at his side since day one. His shadow and best friend. His 'wife' on more than one occasion….

The truth was, Phil wasn't going to be able to do this alone. He didn't want to. He was breaking her heart by trying to.

"I don't want to die alone, Melinda." He told her quietly, and she looked at him from the corner of her eye. "I guess I was just hoping she'd kill me quickly. At least then I wouldn't have to suffer and wait."

She looked at him, and something in her gaze softened. It seemed she had gone from full rage to just irritation.

"Daisy is hell bent on trying to save you, Phil." She replied quietly. "You would come save any of us in a heartbeat." She met his eyes. "Let us do the same for you."

He nodded, resigned, and silence lingered in the air.

There was still the matter of her declaration...Melinda wasn't the one for professing her feelings out loud like that. It made him wonder if she actually meant it, or if it was just her need to shut him up.

Only one way to find out.

"Did you mean it?" He asked tentatively.

"Of course I did, Phil." She replied without hesitation. "Despite your driven need to be an idiot," She looked at him, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, "I do love you."

He nodded in understanding, unsure of what to say.

"God, I wish we had a bottle of Haig." He shook his head and she chuckled.

"Feelings were a lot easier when we were drunk." She commented dryly.

Something beeped...her comms unit. The sound filled him with dread.

"Daisy." She said, and that explanation was enough. She stood from her seat, as did he, and made her way out of the cockpit.

"Wait." They were in the command center now. She paused and turned to look at him.

"What's the matter?"

"We have an annoying history of unfinished conversations."

She frowned at him, confusion flashing across her face.

Before she could ask, he was stepping forward, leaving barely an inch between them.

"I am really sorry." He murmured sincerely. He took her hands in his, intertwining their fingers. His cobalt eyes bore into hers, pleading.

She shook her head and released his hands. Melinda then wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. He returned it happily, the affection a good sign that he hadn't totally screwed up.

"I know." She replied into his found himself missing her proximity as she pulled away. The comm unit was beeping again. "And we will talk later, I promise."

He watched her turn and make her way off the plane. "Looking forward to it."

OoOoOoO  
A/N: Not sure about this one...

Also, hell week has extended to hell month, so apologies if I am not updating as often as I was.


	25. Recruitment

A/N: hey guys!

I saw that another author on fanfiction wrote this AU (and if I find it, I'll post the title later), but I wanted to try my hand at it and write it a bit different. Of course, this'll just be a one shot, but most likely I will end up making a seperate series based on it…

This is an AU in which May was kicked out of SHIELD after Coulson found out she was a mole. This one shot is him trying to re-recruit her during the second season….

I hope that makes sense...enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Coulson liked the beach.

In fact, when he went to New York to keep an eye on Stark, one of the first things he did was go to Coney Island to watch the waves crash into the sand. It was meditative...relaxing. It soothed his soul, in some way.

This time, however, the waves did little to smooth his nerves. Maybe it was in part to the urge to carve that was trying to rise back up again. Or maybe it was just nerves. He couldn't tell nowadays.

 _But why was he nervous?_ He thought to himself. _I mean, she was the one who walked away. I just made it official._

The thought seemed wrong in his head. She had walked away at Providence base because he told her to. Aside from sending him the TAHITI file, she didn't make contact.

No, that was a lie, too.

She did make contact...at first. But when he started ignoring her calls, she started calling less and less.

It was his fault, and that was a revelation that seemed to swallow him whole every time he thought about her.

He was surprised when she said she'd be willing to meet with him. Hill had been the one to get in touch with her, so that was probably why. Hill had also been the one to set up the meeting place-the Virginia Beach pier. It was empty save for a few fisherman down near the end- it was fall, so no shock there.

He leaned against the pier casually, hands folded watching a few stragglers roam the beach looking for shells. He was too focused to notice she had come up behind him.

"Sorry I'm late."

Startled, he stood, one hand falling uselessly to his side and the other gripping the wood.

"May." Her name came out as a breath of relief.

She looked _good._ Casual suited her.

There was a lightness to her that he hadn't seen in awhile, a mischievous look hidden behind the curiosity in her eyes.

"It's good to see you." He finally said after a moment. A smile crept up on his face.

"I'm glad you called." She came over and leaned against the pier railing about a foot from him. He noticed that the smirk she gave didn't reach her eyes. It was a tell tale sign that she hadn't quite forgiven what had transpired. "Director Coulson."

He smirked at the use of his new title. "Hill called you?"

"No, Fury." Her eyes didn't leave the water. Her shirt was almost the same color blue. "It suits you." She commented softly.

"How are y-"

"Phil, why are you here?" She sighed, annoyed. Melinda was never one for small talk. She sent him a glare and he turned his gaze away from her and back to the waves, resting both hands on the railing.

"I need your help." He relinquished, and then braced himself for the fallout.

"Seriously?" Her voice was dangerously low. Her chocolate eyes darkened. "You tell me to walk away and think coming back is just that easy?"

"May-"

"I went eight months, and for-"

"It's Ward." That brought her to a halt. She placed her hands on her hips and watched him expectantly. "We need to get information out of him, but he took off after Garret was killed and no one has seen him since."

"You expect me to find him for you? Is that it?" She asked incredulously. "And then what? Do I go home and pretend nothing happened?"

"Melinda, please!" He cried, and she fell quiet. "I'm trying to mend bridges, here!"

"Phil, you burned this bridge!" She replied forcefully, taking a step back. There was hurt plastered on her face. "You destroyed whatever we had when you stopped trusting me."

Her words hurt more than Loki's scepter ever did, and she was right. Fury had vouched for her when he came to meet Coulson, when he handed over SHIELD. Phil had been too stubborn to admit that he understood why she did it.

And he was paying the price.

"I know." His hand was trembling at his side, the other gripping the pier tightly to keep from going completely nuts.

She must have seen the change in him. Curse her ability to see right through him.

"Phil, what's going on?" Her expression softened to one of concern.

He had managed to keep it from everyone else, but he doubted he could keep it from her.

"The drug, GH325, well…" he showed her his trembling hand. "There were effects after all."

She sighed angrily and looked back out to the water, gears in her head going.

"Are you okay?" When she looked back to him, her gaze had softened. The irritation had faded, but it still lingered.

He gripped the pier with both hands. "No." He replied with the shake of his head. "Ward is gone, Fitz is falling apart, and you left." He paused. "I will spend the rest of my life apologizing if I have to, but please come back."

Pleading wasn't in his nature, but he needed her by his side if they were going to find Ward. Plus, he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss her a little bit.

"Okay." She relented with a sigh. "But i'm still mad at you, Phil."

"I know." He replied with a smile. "Welcome back, Agent May."

OoOoOoO

A/N: hope y'all enjoyed!


	26. Plane Talks

A/N: Hey all!

This may be my last chapter for a little while…I'm hitting that point in the year where my writing will be limited, as I not only have final projects and exams, but I am also moving out of my apartment. SO if you don't hear from me for a little while, don't freak out.

I really wanted to write a scene between Skye and May…like sort of a 'break-the-ice' kind of thing early on in the first season.

Hope y'all enjoy!

OoOoOoO

The hallway was quiet, only the humming of the engines breaking the silence.

But those engines might as well have been roaring, given how much time she had been tossing and turning. It was like every little noise jostled her from her sleep.

It probably also didn't help that she had been stuck in a hospital bed for several days and she ached to move around, to go back to her bunk. Jemma had been circling her like a vulture over the last few days, waiting to scold her for even moving the wrong way.

So, she pretended to be asleep, and waiting for the doctor to do her final rounds before quietly getting out of bed and turning off the heart monitor. Skye was surprisingly steady on her feet. Although her midsection ached, she could move past it.

She wasn't really sure what her plan was when she left her temporary, sterilized home, but she knew it involved grabbing a drink. It was when she was moving to the bar that the noticed Melinda's bunk door was slightly ajar.

Sky padded over to it softly and pushed it open further. _Empty._

 _She must be in the cockpit._

Skye hesitated. She knew that it had been a long week for all of them, but she was surprised when Ward told her that May had practically killed Ian Quinn. If May really had been that pissed off, then maybe leaving her alone was the best bet.

But on the other hand…

Making up her mind, sky grabbed a bottle of water and made her way slowly up to the cockpit, taking caution on the stairs as her abdomen still pained her.

When she reached the open door, she knocked softly.

The older agent sat in her seat, knees pulled up to her chest, watching the clouds fly by in the front window. She turned at the knocking sound, and seemed surprised that it was Skye who came in the middle of the night.

"You should be in bed." She chastised quietly. However, she didn't object when Skye sat in the other seat.

For a moment, there was only silence between them. Skye tried to think of something to say.

"I heard what you did…to Quinn." She started. She watched May's jaw clench in irritation, and she worried that she had pissed her off. 'Thank you."

May looked at her, surprise registering on her face.

"Not that you almost killed him but, I mean, that you care. Thanks for that."

"Skye…" Melinda thought through her words for a moment. "I do care about you." The young girl looked at May wide-eyed, but on the inside, she was a little bit pleased. "I know I don't always show it…"

Her voice trailed off, but Skye understood where she was coming from. And from what Coulson had told her about Bahrain, she knew it must have been hard to talk about feelings.

"I know." She nodded, returning her gaze to the window. "I'm glad you didn't kill him, though. I'd like my shot at him."

Melinda felt a small grin rising up on her face.

"Aww, you smiled." Skye teased with a grin. "I knew you had it in you."

"Don't make me call Jemma in here." May threw back. But the threat was lost on Skye, who chuckled, and then winced at the stabbing pain in her chest.

"Seriously, though." Skye replied, grin still on her face. "I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. It was my fault…I kinda crashed the party."

Melinda threw her a 'no-you-didn't' glare. "We were all having troubles at the beginning." She said simply. She noticed the wince as Skye adjusted herself in the seat, and shook her head. "You really should head back to bed."

"I will." Skye shrugged, but she didn't move. Instead, she hesitantly asked "Can I stay up here with you for a little bit?"

Despite the fact that she was an adult, May couldn't help but think of her as a child when she asked that, wide brown eyes pleading. She nodded quietly. Their gaze went back to the clouds and the night sky.

"You think you could teach me how to fly this thing?" Skye asked. Although she was kidding, part of her was being serious. It would be cool to fly…

"Didn't you say you failed your driver's test?" May replied back, one eyebrow raised.

"uh…..yeah. The first time. Passed it the second though." Skye replied hesitantly. "Does that matter?"

Melinda said nothing.

"Fine then. You think Coulson would let me drive Lola?"

"Absolutely not."


	27. Wedding Night

A/N: I lied…stuck without my textbook for an hour so I figured I'd crank another one out while I had the time.

This is a Fitzsimmons one shot…but there is some Phillinda/Daisy stuff at the end.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Fitz had always thought there was a sense of finality to marriage. A sort of 'we-have-reached-the-point-of-no-return' threshold that once crossed, could never be undone. And that prospect, up until the last minute ceremony that had occurred not even four hours previous, had honestly terrified him.

 _What if she regretted it? What if the demons in his head got ahold of her?_

But when he saw her standing there, dressed in an oversized wedding gown in a forest from another dimension, the doubt seemed to melt. It wasn't her beauty that did it, or the scenery, but _her._ Being there, after everything that had happened…she still chose him. And that doubt didn't resurface, not even after the ceremony. Not even when they walked, hand in hand, down to the control center of the lighthouse four hours later.

"It's quiet." She commented softly, and she was right. The usual hustle and bustle that seemed to eternally exist now in the lighthouse had disappeared. It was kind of eerie, and of course, it made them both a little wary that something was really wrong.

Soft footfalls echoed down the hallway, and Daisy appeared in the control room, a mischievous glint in her dark irises.

"Hey guys." She replied slyly, a small smile on her face. Jemma and Leo looked at one another, curious frowns matching at her odd behavior. Jemma wondered if something was wrong, Fitz wondered what she was planning. Daisy only wore that look when she was scheming, as he had found out during a particularly rough prank war a few years previous.

"What are you planning?" Leo sighed, getting right to the point. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Come with me." Was all she said, and she disappeared out into the hallway. Fitzsimmons looked at one another, and then jogged to catch up with her.

Despite their badgering, Daisy remained silent, that small little smile plastered on her face. She led them down a familiar route, towards the bunks on level 15, but she led them past their shared bedroom, and towards the storage room at the end of the hall.

They watched her open the door, confusion written all over their faces. That feeling faded when they entered.

"Woah." Fitz's breathy response was mutual.

It seemed that the storage room had been converted. Old Christmas lights hung around the edge of the room, giving off a golden glow. Their bed had been moved, and given a new comforter. The boxes that had once been in there were stacked in the back corner, except for one that served as the table to hold an old record player. Faux rose petals littered the floor haphazardly.

To anyone else, it would look a little strange. There were a few bulbs out in the lights, the comforter had a small old stain on it (one that had been repeatedly washed), and the record player was a little beaten up. But to them, it was beautiful. Fitz had a little bit more respect for Deke's thrift-salvaging ability.

"Is this for us?" Jemma asked, before realizing that Daisy had left, shutting the door behind her to allow them some privacy. Fitz moved to the record player, where a little notecard had been placed on a stack of three records.

 _For your first dance. -Melinda and Phil_

He smiled, running his fingers over the cursive script that was May's handwriting.

"May has good taste." Jemma was peering over his shoulder at the covers. She lifted the first one off the stack, an old Adele album from ten years ago.

"I have a feeling the song choice was Coulson." Fitz replied, humming as the record started up.

 _When the rain is blowing in your face_

 _And the whole world is on your case_

"Dance with me?" Fitz offered his hand, a boyish smile gracing his features. She took his hand, and let him lead her to the middle of the floor.

'Dancing' wasn't really the word for what they were doing. Swaying was more like it.

His hand rested on her lower back, the other intertwining with her hand to rest on his chest. She lay her head on his shoulder, letting him lead her in slow circles. They weren't even moving in time with the music, but it didn't matter.

Their hearts beat in time, breathing slow. For a moment in that room and in that night, there was a sense of peace.

"It seems fitting," Jemma murmured after a moment of quiet,"that we would get married in some odd situation." She peered up at him, so close that he could feel her breath against his face. "Husband."

The word was like hot chocolate, sweet and warm and all-around fitting.

"At least we didn't have to plan a guest list." He replied teasingly. "Wife." The smile on his face as he said it made her grin.

"Or a venue." She continued.

"Or a DJ."

"Or catering." She finished. "That cake made out of Twinkies was quite impressive."

"No doubt Daisy's idea." He replied. The smile on his face faltered ever so slightly. "I just wish my mom could have been there."

She nodded understandingly. "Maybe when all of this is over, we can have a reception. We just have to save the world first." She returned her head to his chest, and he kissed her hair.

"Should be a piece of cake." He chuckled. "Pun 100% intended."

This time they both laughed, the sound a melody intertwining with the record player.

"It was a nice idea, Daisy." Coulson said as she entered, not even looking up. He was nursing a glass of water, although he wished that it were something stronger.

"I agree." May sat next to him at the kitchen table, drinking a mug of tea she had dug up from storage.

"We all deserve a little happiness." Daisy replied, plopping into an armchair. She tilted her head back, fighting the headache at her temples. "I just wish they could have a real wedding."

"What do you call that ceremony?" Coulson replied incredulously, although there was a small smile tugging at his lips. "I thought it was beautiful, not to toot my own horn."

May shook her head and took a sip of her tea, smile hidden behind her mug.

"I meant, with their families." Daisy replied.

"We are their family, Daisy," Melinda responded, setting her mug down.

Daisy thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I guess." She shrugged. Her expression shifted to one of curiosity and a little bit of mischief. "Would you ever get married again, May?"

The older agent almost spit out her drink. Coulson averted his eyes to his glass, but Daisy saw the blush rise up his neck. A glimmer of satisfaction rose up in her chest at the reaction.

"I never thought about it." May finally choked out. She glared at Daisy when the young agent gave her a knowing glance. Phil looked between the two, confused. It only made Daisy want to laugh harder.

"Just not another shrink." Daisy replied between giggles.

"God no." May breathed, which sent Daisy laughing again. "I hate psychology."

OoOoOo

A/N: I own nothing. remember to drop me a review or PM if you want me to write a prompt.

Song is "Make You Feel My Love" By Adele (a personal fav)


	28. Two Minutes

A/N: hello all!

I somehow managed to write a 10 page paper, a 2 page paper, and complete a presentation in less than 24 hours….

Since that is done and I have some free time, behold a chapter!

I'm bumping the rating up to T for this one for a little lemon-y zest.

Enjoy ;)

OoOoOoO

" _I remember you fumbling quite a bit."_

" _I didn't know you very well back then. I didn't want to be presumptuous."_

" _You were undercover as my husband"_

" _Right, and I knew that we were on camera, so I had to sell that we were…"_

" _Oh yeah, you sold it. Took over two minutes to unhook my bra…"_

Phil noticed it first, which was surprising.

No, not surprising. 'Surprising' made him sound like he was oblivious.

'Impressive' was probably the better word.

She had just slid into the back seat of the car-a company vehicle. The driver, a mean-looking dude with a scar over his eye, watched every move through the rear view window, which only creeped her out further. She pulled on the edges of her dress as she slid in, irritation rising at whose ridiculous idea it was to wear a dress in winter. Coulson must have seen her frustration, because he offered her a small smile as he slid in next to her, sympathy crossing his cerulean blues.

When the car door was shut, he interlaced his fingers through hers, a habit of the last five hours. They were supposed to be married, after all.

 _Beautifully done, agents._ The familiar voice over comms was good to hear. Agent Rice was running back end for them. _Going dark. Will contact you upon return to the hotel for extraction._

She clicked off, and they were left to their own devices, being watched by the creepy guy up front.

"We did it." She looked at him, mischief rampant in her dark eyes. There was a double meaning there, an undertone. They had gotten the intel, and gotten safely out. But, they had also successfully sold a manufacturing company that didn't actually exist to a terrorist organization. "I'm glad they enjoyed the site."

"Me too." Phil was watching her, arm draped over her seat back. Something caught his eye, and he frowned ever-so-slightly. It was gone before the driver even noticed.

Melinda did, however. When he leaned forward slowly, taking her chin between two fingers, she forced herself to trust whatever he was doing, despite the pounding of her own heart in her ears.

"We should celebrate." It was barely above a murmur, and it sent goosebumps trailing all down her arms.

She panicked briefly when he started trailing light kisses along her jawbone. Melinda had to force herself to relax.

"Bug." The whisper was barely audible, but she understood. It was why she didn't object when he slid her sweater down her bare shoulder to plant kisses on her collarbone. When she noticed the driver looking away disgusted, she giggled. Or it could have been that his breath as he kissed her neck tickled...she wasn't entirely sure.

Her sweater, on which a little audio bug was placed, was kicked rather unceremoniously under the seat.

 _Guys, we have a slight problem._ Rice came back on comms. _Apparently these guys have trust issues. At some point while you were downloading information, they planted bugs in your hotel room. We can't go in there to de-active them until we have the intel in SHIELD possession, otherwise they'll be onto you and your cover will be blown. Stay low. Keep up the act for the cameras. As soon as we have a strategy, i'll let you know._ The comms went silent once again.

Phil reacted better than she did, kissing her hard on the mouth to cover their combined surprise and concern. But the suddenness of it, the intensity….it was a surprising twist from the usually dorky man she usually partnered with. It took her breath away. Her hands flew up to the sides of his face before she realized what she was doing. This 'take charge' side of him...it was kinda sexy.

She barely registered the car stopping at the entrance of the hotel, at least not until he pulled away and gave her a dorky smile.

He got out, then held out his hand for her, which she took. As they walked inside and got on the elevators, Rice came back on.

 _Alright guys, here's the plan. Go dark. Keep up whatever act for the camera. At some point, Agent Marks will come by with room service. Get the flash drive on the tray, then you can take out the cameras using an EMP. You should only need to stall for a few minutes, so come up with something good._

Good? What the hell did that mean? Did Rice somehow know that they had basically made out while on assignment? Because Melinda was still reeling from that fact herself.

The elevator, thankfully was empty. A brief scan showed no cameras.

"You can hit me later, I promise, but it was the only thing I could think of." He hissed in her ear.

"Can't say it was the best idea." she grumbled. On the inside, however, her heart was still pounding. Nobody had ever kissed her like that before.

And Phil...well they didn't know each other very well. She knew he had an obsession with Captain America and he knew about her idolization of Dorothy Hamill as a child, but that was it. They were friends. Partners.

Would this change that?

She tried not to dwell on it too hard. The prospect was... overwhelming. This was a mission. That was it.

The elevator halted and they got out on their floor, fingers still loosely intertwined. They didn't dare speak.

Once in the room, things between them went quiet.

The only way to describe it was like the energy in a storm cloud.

It was there, palpable, thick and just waiting to explode.

And explode it did.

Phil was pushed into the door roughly, lips colliding with hers before he could even protest. He flipped them, so she was against the metal. Her back arched as his arm wound around her waist, pulling her as close as possible. She pushed his jacket off of his shoulders, letting it drop to the ground, then pulled him back to her with his tie.

This was her revenge for the kiss in the car, teasing him, taking his breath away the way he did hers.

She tried to tell herself that is was all part of the act, that everything was meant to happen the way it did. In reality, she kind of lost control...something Melinda May rarely did.

He was suddenly lifting her off the ground, and she broke off the kiss in surprise. Her legs wrapped around his waist. She giggled for the second time that night. But his mouth didn't leave her skin. Instead, it traced down her jaw line much like it had before, stopping in the crook of her neck.

Somehow he got to the couch and practically fell into it, taking her down with him.

There was a slight change in him then.

The fiery kisses turned more tender. It was like he went from needing to strip her right there to wanting to take his time. Phil was stalling that way.

When he found the zipper of her dress, he languidly unzipped it, trailing his fingers lightly down her spine, not trying to rip it off. Instead he slid it slowly down her shoulders, taking her arms out of the sleeves. A chill went through her at his touch.

And then, he fumbled. For a while.

Her bra wasn't that complicated, was it?

Her impatience won out, and she reached behind to unclasp it. Her lips found his again, and he felt the light tap as the flash drive that she had stored in her bra fell into his lap. He nonchalantly grabbed it as he was placing his hand on her waist, then managed to slip it into his pocket.

Where the hell was Marks?

Melinda cursed internally, forcing herself back into reality. There wasn't much more they could do without crossing some very clear boundaries.

"You are beautiful."

At first, she wasn't quite sure if she actually heard him say it. Their eyes met, and she was surprised by the innocence written on his face. He was being totally and completely genuine, finger skimming along her bare shoulder. It caught her totally off guard.

The next kiss was sweet. There was a lingering intensity to it. It reminded her of her parents when she was a kid, when her father would kiss her mother goodbye in the early mornings. The kiss was a promise of something, and that terrified her.

A knock at the door. Her heart jumped in relief.

"Room service."

Phil made a big show of groaning and rolling his eyes as Melinda rolled off his lap and went about fixing her bra.

While he placed the drive on the tray, she re-zipped her dress out of view of the other agent. That was _not_ a story she needed getting out.

Suddenly, the lights went out. She slumped in relief and grabbed her shoes from where they had apparently fallen on the floor.

Once his tie and jacket were fixed, they made their way downstairs.

2 hours later, they finished debrief.

Recounting the story….well it had been interesting…Several raised eyebrows had been thrown their way. And to their credit- neither of them blushed or faltered.

Afterwards, when they were told they were free to go, Phil caught up with Melinda in the hallway.

"Hey!" He called and she stopped, folding her arms in front of her expectantly. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you do it."

"You didn't _make_ me do anything, Phil." She replied with a shrug. " But thanks…" she hesitated, "and for the compliment, too."

He blushed then, smile creeping up on his features. "I meant it."

Later, she would try to convince herself that the peck she gave him was a goodbye, as she was getting ready to leave for the French Alps for a month. She would even say it was just friendly-that _that_ mission was just a mission and nothing more. That his kiss meant nothing…..

But damn who was she kidding…

OoOoOoO

A/N: I've never written a sexy fic before, so no worries if you hated it…..


	29. Lost

A/N: Hello All!

Thanks for the amazing reviews you guys have been leaving me! I always welcome suggestions, constructive criticism, and prompts!

A lot of people really like the "mamma May" one shots with Daisy, so I'm inclined to write more of them. Remember to leave me prompts if there is a one shot you really want to see!  
This will probably be my only post of the week-final exams are coming up and ya girl is drowning in work.

Set near the end of season 2 before May leaves for vacation. It may (pun intended) be a bit angsty. Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

It wasn't the first time Daisy ever felt lost. For almost ten years, she had been on her own. She lived in a van, ate take out, and moved from place to place while trying not to form any kind of attachment.

Ward had told her once that it was an effect of the foster system. She was inclined to believe him.

But this was the first time since joining SHIELD that she truly had no idea what to do. Just when things seemed like they could be normal, when it seemed like she'd actually have a family to be a part of, her mom turned out to be a homicidal maniac. Not to mention the psychopath that was her father.

And yet, despite the several agents who were killed on board the carrier, nobody really blamed her. Fitz and Jemma looked after her, bickering while they checked her gauntlets and scanned her x-rays. Mack fist bumped her when he entered the lab, and started rambling about the specs for some kind of shot gun axe he was thinking about making. Even Hunter made quiet conversation when she went down to visit Bobbi.

Phil. He had been her shoulder to cry on for the last few days, the one she turned to when the grief crushed her chest again and again. She had only known her mother for a short time, and yet losing her felt like a hole had been blown straight through her. Maybe it was the betrayal, or maybe just the loss, or maybe some weird combo platter of the two.

Whatever it was, it hurt like hell.

When they returned to base, things returned to what could kind of be considered normal.

Which is why, when she wanted to talk with Coulson, she headed to his office.

He was perched on the edge of his desk, blue eyes staring at the screen on the wall. But there was nothing there aside from a digital blueprint that remained stationary. She had a feeling he was actually staring off into space.

Daisy knocked softly, and felt bad when he startled.

"Come on in." He told her, eyes softening. He turned towards her, and her eyes flitted towards the sling before meeting his.

"Am I interrupting anything?" She entered slowly, shutting his office door behind her. He shook his head quietly, glancing back to the screen.

"How are you?" She asked him tentatively. He looked back at her and shrugged, shoulders sagging. Sitting there…he looked so defeated.

"Ward vanished. Base is recovering, but it's gonna take time to get back to where it was. And Bobbi-"

"No, I meant…how are _you_?" She folded her arms across her chest. "You look beat." She commented. "Does it hurt?"

He looked down at the sling with a sigh. "I'll be honest, it hurts. A lot. I can't remember the last time I've slept. But every time I try…" His voice faded, and he glanced back down to his arm. He didn't need to finish. She understood.

"Are you alright?" He looked up at her, concern written on his face.

"I will be." She nodded slowly. He must have realized that she still had more on her mind to say, because he watched her expectantly. "Look, I just wanted to-to apologize. For being a sobbing mess, mistrusting you, everything. "

"Skye, it wasn't-"

"You're gonna say it wasn't my fault?" She forced her voice back down, but she really just wanted to yell and scream and probably throw something. "I led SHIELD right to them. Gonzales is dead because of me. And it could have been you-" She broke off, placing her hands on her hips. "And May?"

"May is fine."

"I sent her _flying,_ Coulson." Daisy looked at him, pleading for him to understand how this was her fault. Tears brimmed around her eyes, but she fought them back. She didn't to cry in front of him again. "I fought my S.O. Without even thinking, I just-"

"You were trying to protect your family." Coulson stood, and came over to her. He squeezed her arm with his good hand. "May understands that, I understand that. No one is blaming you for what happened." He brushed a tear off of her cheek, one that had fallen without her noticing. "You lost both your mother, and your father is being sent away, in the same day. You have every right to be a sobbing mess."

Daisy laughed through her tears. She reached up and brushed them away with shaking hands. "Thank you. For everything."

He just smiled his usual kind smile and wrapped his arm around her, hugging her tightly to him.

The familiar fabric of his jacket, the smell of his cologne, it was comforting. It seemed to dry her tears faster than anything. It was then that she realized that she had been idiot.

All that time spent searching for a family, for belonging, and it had been right there next to her the entire time. Sure, it was nice knowing what happened to her biological parents, getting to reconnect with them-and god she missed her mother so much it hurt-but it also made her realize that her family had been here the entire time.

It was so stupid that it took that long to realize it. She laughed at herself as she pulled away, not feeling quite so lost.

"Everything is gonna be okay." Coulson smiled at her, ever the optimist.

"I need to go talk to May." His face fell ever so slightly as she said it, and she frowned at the change. "What?"

He sighed, forcing a smile back on his face. "Go talk to her."

Her eyebrows furrowed together, and she wondered what was going on. However, she knew that Coulson was only going to tell her to talk to May herself. She left the room, power walking towards the other side of the base where May's room was.

When she got there, she found the door open. Her breath hitched when she saw the black duffel resting on the bed. May moved to place something in the bag, and noticed Daisy standing in the doorway, a shell-shocked look on her face. Her apology for their Afterlife fight dissolved on her tongue.

"You're leaving?" It was barely above a whisper. "Why?"

May froze, an unreadable expression on her face. "In all the years I've been in SHIELD, I have never taken a vacation. I figured it was about time I did." She turned to face Daisy. The ghost of a bruise was still dusted across her jaw bone, a bitter reminder for Daisy.

"But. But I-" Daisy fought for words, but they got stuck in her throat.

"Skye-"

"It's Daisy." She crossed her arms across her chest, frustration and a slight tinge of anger darkening her features.

"Daisy," May corrected, "this has nothing to do with you." Although her words sounded harsh, they weren't meant to be. Daisy saw that. She saw the concern in Melinda's eyes, the pain.

"Then what is it?"

May hesitated. "SHIELD has been my life for so long. But after watching it being divided, collapsing in on itself, the secrets and the lies tearing people apart…" she sighed. "I'm not sure if staying here is the best thing right now."

"You're leaving for good?" Daisy felt the stinging pain rising up again behind her eye lids.

"I don't know." Melinda shook her head. She zipped her bag, avoiding Daisy's gaze. The younger agent felt her heart drop in her chest.

"But Coulson-"

"Coulson doesn't need me." A shadow of anger crossed Melinda's dark eyes. "He's proven that over the last few weeks." She shouldered her bag, and Daisy moved out of her way so she could get to the empty hall.

"Yes, he does." May halted, letting her bag fall to the ground. "We all do." Her voice faded.

"Daisy."Melinda stepped forward, and surprisingly, wrapped the girl in a hug. "I won't be gone forever." She pulled away, and squeezed the girl's bicep, letting a small smile grace her features.

God, did she not even see how alike she and Coulson were?

"Take care of him, will you?" Melinda asked, and Daisy nodded shakily. "I'll be back."

She picked up her bag and disappeared down the hall, heading towards the locker room to grab the rest of her stuff.

Daisy lost it then, sliding down the wall and letting sobs wrack her body. As much as she wanted to hope, to have some faith that Melinda would actually come back, doubt rose up in her chest, burning her from the inside.

Jaiying was gone. Cal was leaving. And now May…

Once again, Daisy felt lost.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Told you it would be angsty...


	30. Spontaneous Proposals

A/N: hey guys….

Saw infinity war the other day.. .don't worry I won't spoil anything. I just needed a few days to recover from that.

This one shot is based off a promo pic from 5x21, in which Melinda and Phil are locked in a cell.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

She paced.

Whether out of frustration or anxiety, Phil couldn't tell.

But she was obviously on edge, arms folded across her chest and a determined look on her face.

What he noticed there also was exhaustion. And pain. The more the pacing, the more the limping. And that only frustrated Melinda more.

He could understand, of course. Every breath he took was painful, and a migraine tempted his temples.

He recalled what Daisy had said.

"May will never be full strength…"

He folded his arms across his chest, gaze softening when the limping got really bad. Still, she refused to sit down.

"Melinda," he said softly, and she paused in her pacing,"come sit. You're hurting."

She sighed, frustration igniting her eyes. She must have realized that she wasn't going to wear a hole in the floor anytime soon, so she sighed reluctantly and sat down.

There was an uneasy silence for a moment. He supposed she was still angry with him. Made sense...maybe if he hadn't been so reckless, this could have been avoided.

But it happened. Talbot was insane and Phil got them into this mess.

The only thing left to do was comply until they could figure a way out.

But what if they couldn't?

The thought crept to the edge of his mind, and he tried to push it away. However, the idea of dying in space after weeks of trying to get back to Earth (and actually getting home), was so frustrating and ironic at the same time. He wasn't sure if it was a lack of sleep or what, but he actually chuckled to himself.

Melinda tossed him a confused look, eyebrow raising, and his laughter faded.

"If you could go anywhere, right now, where would you go?" He asked her spontaneously. Phil cursed his talkative nature, something that came out when he was nervous. The last time they'd been alone...well it ended with him looking like an idiot. She frowned at this, wondering where this was going.

"Home." Melinda replied simply with a shrug.

"Yeah, but where is that?" He folded his hands on his lap, leaning back against the wall and looking at his fingers. "Arizona? Pennsylvania? The base?"

She turned her gaze to the wall across from them, thinking. When it didn't seem like she had a good answer, she looked back at him.

"Where would you go?"

He smiled a bit. "Ireland." She didn't seem at all surprised. "Castles, really good beer, it's like paradise."

He remembers telling LMD May a similar thing, feels a flash of pain in his chest.

"Sounds fun." She replied, allowing a small smile to sneak up on her face.

He stared at her a moment, feeling every beat of his heart in his chest.

How much heartbreak had they gone through? And May? She lost her husband, got stuck in the framework for weeks, then got transported to space where she had a literal hole dug into her leg, still fighting off aliens as she healed.

He agreed that she deserved a night in her own bed.

That might have been what compelled him to say "We should go."

She frowned. "What?"

"When all this is over, I want to go. Even if it's just a weekend. No responsibilities." As he said it, he got excited by the prospect. "Come with me." He looked at her, pleading and mischievous at the same time.

Melinda's gaze turned incredulous. "If only it were that simple."

"What isn't simple about it?" He shrugged, giving her a small smile. "Daisy could use some time off. Fitzsimmons haven't had a honeymoon yet."

"Mack and Yoyo have things to figure out." She conceded, gears turning in her head.

Wait, was she actually considering it?

"That's if we get out of here." She said, and the hope crumpled in his chest.

"We will. We always do." He replied simply,trying to convince himself as well as her, but he could see her shake her head as he did so.

"I'm not sure about this one, Phil."

He was surprised, to say the least. She was more of a realist than a pessimist.

"At least we're together." He replied softly. Their eyes connected, and for a moment there was an unreadable expression in her dark gaze.

"Are we?" She asked. Melinda wasn't angry as she said it...more like questioning or worried. Worried that she had crossed some kind of line, maybe? He wasn't sure.

"Well yeah, we are literally locked in a cell together." he joked. "Again."

That seemed to ease her nerves a bit, even drawing out a chuckle.

She lowered her knee, resting her hands on her lap.

"Melinda, come with me." He quietly implored. "I will spend every second apologizing, at length, because I hurt you."

She seemed to consider it, thinking deeply for a moment before saying "If we get out of here, maybe." The she actually chuckled. "But it's gonna take a lot longer than a week" Was she flirting with him? He couldn't tell.

"2 weeks?"

She shot him a dirty look.

"A month?"

"Maybe." She scoffed, teasing.

"Marry me."

That wiped the grin right off her face. He hadn't even realized he said it out loud until the shocked expression rested on her features.

Should he play it off? He tried to keep the mischievous look on his face, but on the inside it was quickly being replaced by fear. What had he just done?

"Whatever is left of my life….I want it spent making this up to you." He said, trying to break the silence.

She stared at him, shell shocked, not saying anything.

Realizing he had, in fact, crossed a line, he sighed. "I'm sorry...shouldn't have said that."

There was a metal clang down the hall...the sound of a door opening and closing. Footsteps echoed on the floors. Both of them stood, bracing for whatever was coming.

With each thud, their hearts beat faster, ice flowing through their veins, palms sweating.

But….they relaxed when there was a knock.

"You guys okay in there?" Daisy's voice came calling through the metal.

"Yeah, fine." Phil called back, eyes meeting Melinda's happily. She seemed to relax, but the shock was still evident on her face.

"Alright. Stand back."

They took a few steps back to the wall as the door was blown in, clattering to the floor noisily.

"You alright?" Melinda was at her side in a moment, looking her over.

"Fine. It's a long story but we need to get out of here."

She turned and disappeared into the hallway. Melinda made to follow her out, but she suddenly stopped, Phil a few feet behind.

He watched her, confused, as she turned back to him.

She suddenly pecked him on the lips, lifting herself on her toes to do so. It was so quick that he barely felt it, but he did feel his heart pounding in his ears.

"Let's go. To Ireland, I mean."

She offered a small smile and disappeared out into the hallway. For a moment, he found it hard to breathe.

And it wasn't because of his injury.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Wow...30 whole one shots...that's big for me. Hope you guys have enjoyed what I've written so far. I fully intend on writing more, as I am OFFICIALLY done with classes.

Thanks for being awesome guys!


	31. Mack and May

A/N: The suspense of not knowing if the show is renewed is seriously killing me….they've already cancelled Lucifer, which just pissed me off.

Like I'm dead right now…

This is a little one shot between Mack and…...Momma May.

I've realized there are very few close interactions between the two of them, so I thought I'd try to knock one out. This is set just after everyone gets back to the lighthouse (so they are still fighting).

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Mack was never one to revel in his emotions. Sure, he was still angry with Yoyo, and Fitzsimmons, but he had a valid reason. That reason, of course, involved being tricked to believe Simmons was dying and being locked on a cell.

So he did well to hold on to that anger for a little bit.

But sadness? That was not something he liked clinging to his back.

And yet, here he was, lifting himself out of bed with a heavy head and the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He had made the mistake of looking at a calendar the day prior.

Hope's birthday.

Of course, her birthday had always been a little bit painful. But this time….it was different. This time it was an ice pick shoved into his chest. It was a boulder on his head, threatening to crush him if he thought to hard.

He had known her. He had known the little girl with the dark eyes identical to his. He had seen her smile, laugh. He had celebrated her birthday with balloons and cake and the neighborhood kids running through their yard.

He had seen her disappear, like an apparition or a ghost, leaving his arms empty and cold.

It hurt. God it hurt.

What hurt worse was being alone. Usually, he could talk to Nicole, sit by her, watch the grass sway next to the tree they buried her under.

But Yoyo and Fitzsimmons...he wasn't ready to come to face with that.

And with Phil dying, and Daisy and May working to save him...well it was just better that he continue on without telling anyone.

They noticed the change in his demeanor, of course. Years of working beside him taught them when something was wrong. They noticed the heavy look in his eyes, the unwillingness to talk. Yoyo tried to ask, to comfort him, but he brushed it off.

No one else tried to approach him until he was down in storage, allowing himself a moment of quiet in a far back corner to mourn and to quietly sit and think.

He heard light footsteps, steeled himself for another argument with Yoyo, but May's appearance caught him off guard.

May had, mostly, been a passive observer. That was her nature. She didn't argue with the others, didn't try to speak on anyone's behalf. When the four of them had erupted into arguments, she and Coulson had just looked at one another, and took back the reins when it seemed things had gotten too rocky. He liked that calm, think-things-through-before-you-act aspect about her.

Which is why he felt almost relieved when she showed up.

May just looked at him at first, leaning against the rack closest to him and looking down at his cross-legged form.

After a moment, she said "I don't think I need to ask if you're alright."

He didn't reply. There were shouts and screams choking him, tears burning behind his eyes. He just shook his head, trying not to cry in front of her.

"Mack, you don't have to talk." She said quietly. "But I'm here, if you want to."

He looked up at her, and then broke.

He rubbed his head with his hand, letting the tears drop on to the floor. He heard rather than saw her back slide down the wall beside him, sitting close, but with several inches between them.

Melinda didn't say anything, not for a moment, she just waited, patiently, resting a comforting hand on his massive bicep. Even when it seemed like he was done, she remained quiet.

"Today was her birthday." He said with a shaky voice. Seeing the frown on her face, he sighed. "Hope." He let his hands fall into his lap. "I didn't even realize it until yesterday and it just hit me all at once. I'm sorry-"

"No, Mack." She stopped him with a shake of her head. "Never apologize for being upset."

"I know, I just...with everything else that's going on I just-" His voice faded.

"My mother used to say to me that pain is relative." May said after a moment, and Mack looked at her in surprise. She had her gaze fixed on a point on the opposite wall, not looking at him. "Just because other people around you are having a hard time, doesn't mean your pain is any less valid."

He didn't reply.

"You lost your daughter, Mack." She looked at him, sympathy deep in her brown eyes. "Again." She squeezed his arm. "Take time to mourn. It doesn't make you weak."

He didn't know what to say for a moment. The grief that once resounded in his chest was being joined by a...grateful feeling.

May squeezed his arm and stood from the floor, dusting off her black pants.

"Stay here. I have something I've been meaning to give you." She left the storage room.

He took advantage of the alone time to stand, catch his breath, and wipe the dried tears from his face. He took a shaky breath, and let it out slowly.

Melinda returned not even five minutes later and handed him a photo.

"Coulson found it when we took AIDA back to base. Thought you might want it back."

His breath caught when he opened it, the ultrasound photo he kept on him. It was worn, ripped in one small place, but it was his.

He smiled, letting out a shaky laugh. Tears threatened his eyes again, but this time, they weren't so bad. The boulder that had been resting on his shoulders seemed to lose some of its weight.

Mack was a hugger, always had been, so she should have seen his bear hug coming. Because of his bulky size, and her petite frame, she practically disappeared in his embrace.

At first, he thought he had overstepped. She froze, not reacting for a moment. He relaxed when Melinda actually hugged him back rubbing his back for a split second before he let her go.

"Thank you." He told her.

She nodded, a small smile on her face, and turned on her heel, leaving him alone in the storage closet.

Mack had always thought of Melinda as cool, reserved, stoic in the face of almost anything. For a little while he was even kind of scared of her.

But now….he could see why the others looked up to her so much.

OoOoOoO

A/N: sooo I started writing this during the first part of the season finale (tonight's episode) and can I just say

*Spoilers ahead*

HOLY SH*T THAT KISS MY _GOD_

I MEAN HOT DAMN….THAT HIT ME

Coulson has GAME….

anyways...till next time


	32. Ice Cream Social

A/N: Howdy y'all! (I decided to change it up). I realized that it's been a while since I've posted a Coulson/Daisy one shot, so here's a short one.

I'm still reeling from that last episode, in case you were wondering…

Okay, moving on.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Skye ignored the knock on her door the first time.

She just sat, looking at her computer screen, flicking through photos. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, head resting on them. She was still damp from the shower she took, and her wet hair cascaded down her back.

It was late, which is partially the reason she ignored the knock. That, and she really just wanted to be alone.

But, whoever it was was persistent. She finally stood grumpily and yanked the door open. Surprisingly it wasn't her S.O as she was expecting, but rather Coulson himself.

Two weeks since she'd seen him last. He'd been off jet setting around the world. Of course, training had kept her busy, but she felt a little less jolly when he wasn't here.

Still, Skye was still feeling less-than-social. She let him in wordlessly, and resumed her position on the bed.

"Good to see you, too." He commented, and his smile contradicted the small amount of hurt in his eyes.

"Sorry...I just-"

"It's alright. I brought you a present." He reached into a grocery bag she hadn't noticed he was carrying, and pulled out a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

"Oh...my God. When did you-?" She got up excitedly, eyes wide.

Ice cream was a luxury they didn't have access to. It wasn't like there was a convenience store nearby, and May's strict training left little room for sweets.

Not only was it her favorite brand, but he also it her favorite flavor: Cookie if only she had a bottle of cheap wine and it would be like life in her van.

He procured two spoons, handing one to her as she sat back down on the bed. He sat in the desk chair across from her and passed her the pint.

"So, I talked to May." He started, and she groaned internally. In reality, Skye should have seen this one coming. Those two were thick as thieves.

"She said your training is going really well. I don't think I've ever seen her that...proud." He continued and she jerked her head up, passing him the ice cream with a surprised glance.

"Really?"

He nodded around a mouthful of cookie dough.

"But, she said something else." He passed it back, seeing the small tendrils of dread in her brown irises. "She said you've been acting weird all day. Everything ok?"

He frowned when nodded her head unconvincingly, looking into the canister but not eating.

"Skye." He chastised.

Rather than reply, she just turned her laptop around so Coulson could see the screen.

"Is that-?

"Yeah." She glanced at the photo, then back to him. "Miles." Skye sighed shakily. "He got married yesterday."

He looked rapidly between her and the photo.

"His wife has a degree in computer science." She slammed the lid of the laptop ruefully, corner of her mouth turning up in disgust.

"Are you ok?" He asked again, folding his hands in his lap.

"I don't know." She put the lid back on the pint and sat it next to her. "I mean was over him. I am over him." She picked at her fingernail polish. "But it wasn't that long ago that I thought I'd be the one in that photo."

Coulson hesitated to say anything.

"I mean I know I should move on but…" her rambling halted.

"You don't really forget the first person you fell in love with." He replied simply. The sympathetic look on his face, and the wistful look in his eye, made her believe he was speaking from experience.

"How do you get over it?" She asked softly, leaning forward.

"You never really do." He shrugged. "But eventually, the hurt goes away. You may even be able to be happy for him in a little while." He smiled at her kindly. "For now, eat ice cream, cry a little bit. Then tomorrow," he shrugged, "get to work."

She smiled despite her internal feud, suddenly feeling grateful that he had come to visit her.

"Thanks AC." She replied with a small smile.

"Come on, you can't even call me Director?" Coulson exclaimed goodnaturedly.

"Nope." She slid forward so she was sitting on the very edge of the bed, and hugged him tightly.

"Are you gonna be ok?" He squeezed her bicep as she pulled away.

"Yeah. I will be."

He stood from the chair, and she followed him as he left her room.

"Good night." He murmured, giving her a goofy smile.

"Good night, AC."


	33. Tahiti

A/N: Hey all!

If you haven't read it already, the first chapter of my other AoS series is up (it's based off of one of these one shots). Please go check it out :)

This chapter contains spoilers for the finale, so read at your own risk.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

It's an old photo.

When they dropped AIDA off at the base, it was the only thing Melinda could salvage from what used to be her room.

Maybe it was stupid to hang onto it, to tuck it into her jacket pocket, but she was beyond caring. Besides, with all they've been through, maybe it's a good luck charm. It survived space, robots, the almost end of the world. Maybe it could help her survive, too.

She remembers something as her fingers trail the paper. She remembers something she read when she was a child, about cats running away to die out of view of their owners. It seems so stupid, and she wonders briefly if it's true.

Coulson is like a cat, she thinks, wanting to die alone. Not wanting to see the pain on the faces of those around him. It's so idiotic and irritating, she has to stop herself before she crumples the photo and slings it against the wall. With a sigh, she leans her back against the wall, rubbing a hand on her thigh absentmindedly.

Jemma told her that her thigh didn't heal properly-not that surprising, of course. She'd still be able to fight, as she had proven on multiple occasions, but it would never quite be as strong as it was.

A soft knock drew her attention away from the photo. She steels herself, bracing for some kind of bad news. That was habit now.

Surprisingly, it is Coulson who enters when she calls. Some of the color has returned to his face. Jemma had given him pain meds, so he wouldn't wince with every breath. But in his eyes, she can see that swirling of sadness and hurt. She looks away when she doesn't want to see it, returning her gaze to the photo.

"What is that?" He gestures to it with his head. She invites him to sit next to her on the bed, and waits till he's comfortable to reply.

"Graduation." She replied softly, allowing a brief flash of a smile to cross her face. She hands him the photo.

It's old and worn, but still clear nonetheless. Both of them wore their black gowns, smiles on their faces. They were young, happy. If she recalls correctly, she had pulled a prank on him that morning, something about putting his Captain America underwear up a flagpole. He got her back in some way, although she can't remember how. Graduation from the academy had been a long time ago, before her husband and Avengers and Bahrain.

He hands the photo back to her, not meeting her gaze. It's a tell-tale sign. He has something to say and is lacking the courage to say it. She doesn't confront him about it, she's done trying to pull the thoughts from his head. She just wants patiently as he hashes out his own internal fight.

"I'm leaving." He admits into the quiet, but she already knows that.

"But you knew that." He finishes, looking at her with those cerulean blues, the ones that she had spent almost a lifetime looking into. They were her solace, her comfort, more often than she'd like to admit. And now….they filled her with a sense of dread.

Was this his goodbye?

"I know." She whispers, not trusting her voice to remain steady. She steels herself, braces for the goodbye she knows all too well is coming. No words leave her. They seem superfluous anyway.

"But I don't want to go alone." He tells her. He looks at her, wills her to understand what he means.

Melinda had told him not to leave her behind. This was him making good on that.

"Where are you going?" She asks in response, although her heart and mind are already set in their decision. She knew as soon as he said the word 'leaving' that she wanted to go with him.

"Tahiti." He responds, chuckling. It's a warm sound, the sound of life.

She smiles despite the situation and shakes her head. "Really, Phil?" She chastises.

"Really." He nods defiantly. "I want to see the real thing."

She chuckles, then watches his face go serious.

"Come with me." He says quietly, but he doesn't need to ask.

She should feel doubt, or at least some regret for leaving the team behind, for walking away without a protest. But Daisy and Mack were natural leaders. They would be fine.

Melinda was getting older, she could feel it in her bones. It was getting harder and harder to bounce back from every heartbreak. Until now, her future with SHIELD had never been less than guaranteed. Peggy Carter herself had said Melinda was a promising agent, and she had graduated with top marks. SHIELD had been her life up until now. But with the way Phil was currently looking at her, like every fabric of their world hinged on her being by his side….she couldn't say no.

OoOoOoO

She's there before him, standing on the sand, watching the waves roll in as he says his final goodbye.

Melinda catches Daisy's eye, gives her a smile. They had already talked before this little going away party, about her leaving.

It hurt, sure. Daisy had hugged her tight and let out a few sobs before pulling away. Melinda had wiped the tears from her cheeks, told her they'd stay in touch. When Daisy asked if she'd come back, after Coulson was gone, Melinda didn't have a clear answer.

Coulson is strolling down towards her now, and she can see that, even with his sunglasses on, he was looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered.

A smile graces her features as he drops his bag in the sand. The quinjet leaves the ground, kicking up sand and wind as it takes flight. They watch it a moment as it hovers, then takes off, circling around.

She doesn't hesitate when his hand finds hers. Her hands are small, his calloused, but they intertwine, joining so easily that it seemed they were made to fit. It grounds them to the new reality, a laid back reality. One that doesn't involve guns and missions and tactics. It's as natural as the wind and the waves they watch.

It's daunting, the days and maybe weeks ahead. She both dreads what will eventually happen and looks forward to their time alone. He does to, in much the same way. Time is running out, he can't deny that.

But since she's here….everything may just turn out alright.

OoOoOoO

A/N: How am I gonna survive until next summer?


	34. Grilled Cheese

A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter….haven't had a good one shot idea all week and then this comes up while I'm riding in the car.

Enjoy!  
OoOoOoO

Phil doesn't remember the first time he tried his mom's grilled cheese.

He was young, a toddler probably.

But he does remember that she only made it on Sundays. After he and his dad came in from the garage, stained with grease and oil, she'd set their sandwiches on the counter with a flourish. The boys could barely contain their excitement enough to wash their hands before diving ravenously into their feast. Even though they had them every week, there was just something about it. A warmth would radiate from their chest at the melted cheese and buttery bread. Sometimes, when they were finished, Phil's dad would gladly announce that he was taking them for ice cream.

Phil's father died when he was nine. It took Julie a year before she could make another one.

Well, actually, it took Phil almost setting the kitchen on fire.

At only ten, he reached up as high as he could into the pantry to grab the bread, and then over to the fridge for the cheese. He got it all into the pan, even grabbed a stool to turn the stove on, and felt very proud of himself.

Until there was a burning smell. Turns out, there was a plastic wrap around the cheese.

His mother came running is as the smoke alarm went off and began scolding him for trying to cook while she was getting dressed.

But when she saw his face, the tears threatening to spill onto his cheeks, her face softened. She even cried a bit too, but he didn't know why.

And then, she put him on the stool and began to teach him the very intricate ways of the grilled cheese.

By middle school, he could make one like a pro. As soon as he got off the bus, while she was still at work, he would run inside and make himself one exactly like she taught him. Of course, nothing could ever compare to hers.

Every chance he got, he would make a grilled cheese.

The first time he made one for someone else was sophomore year of high school. Jackie Mulligan, his new girlfriend. After only a month of dating, he invited her over. He spent over an hour raving about comic books before making her very own grilled cheese.

They broke up a week later. Part of him wondered if she didn't like the sandwich.

A year into the SHIELD academy, he finally got his own apartment. Although small and barren of any furniture, it was his. No more living in tiny dorms, no more crazy roommates. His neighbor across the hall was a sweet elderly woman who brought him cookies when he moved in.

Melinda came over to help him move into the apartment, as hers was in the complex across the road. She was one of the few people who looked at his expansive Captain America collection and didn't think he was crazy. Or maybe she did. He couldn't tell.

When they finished unpacking, he invited her to stay for dinner, to which she responded with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't have any food."

He browsed through his stock before nodding decisively. "I'm going to make you a grilled cheese."

"Phil, I don't like grilled cheese." She replied tiredly. "Let's just go grab-"

"No!" He cried emphatically. "You'll like this one, I promise."

She shook her head with a smile but didn't reply, so he continued on with her sandwich. When he plated it and set it on the counter, he watched her expectantly as she took a hesitant bite.

"Wow." She chewed thoughtfully for a second. "That's really good!" He watched her to be certain she wasn't being sarcastic. When he realized she was being genuine , he turned back to the stove to make his own, a 'told-you-so' smile on his face.

His mother died in 1992. He couldn't bring himself to make grilled cheese for weeks.

Melinda came over and tried to make one, as a sign of comfort.

They ended up ordering a pizza.

After Bahrain, he tried to take Melinda a sandwich.

Andrew let him in, grim look on his face, and pointed him to the living room where she sat staring out the back windows.

Melinda startled when he sat slowly on the couch, showing the Tupperware with the sandwich inside. She didn't eat it, which didn't surprise him. Although, he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed.

He brought her a new sandwich every Sunday, and after a while, she started eating them again.

He never thought he'd be making a grilled cheese on a plane until Skye joined the team, and he was certain he wanted her in on the grilled cheese fan club. Melinda sat in the kitchen with him as he cooked, not talking, just waiting patiently. She knew he would make her one, too, if she asked nicely.

Skye loved it, like he knew she would. He wondered briefly as she smiled at him if he should give her the secret ingredient, before dismissing the thought.

Grilled cheese nights became something of a legend in the base. Before long, every member of the team was clamoring for a sandwich. The smells would draw them to the kitchen, smiles on their faces. Mack began asking for his with peanut butter instead of cheese. Daisy would pair hers with a glass of milk. Fitzsimons would often share a sandwich between them.

Melinda's approach to making them resulted in less stove-top fires and more edible sandwiches. Some of them actually turned out pretty well, much to his chagrin.

She was just getting out of the shower when she smelled it. The scent of melted cheese and toasted bread. She practically threw on shorts and a t-shirt, and ran a brush through her hair before moving quietly into the kitchen.

He was humming as he cooked, a small smile on his features. A day's worth of beach time was reflected on his slightly-burnt cheeks. It was the first time in a long time that he seemed carefree, and she leaned against the doorframe to watch him as he searched for a spatula.

It wasn't until he was plating the sandwiches that he noticed her standing there watching him, her signature smirk on her face. His blue eyes caught hers for a moment, before gesturing to the food.

"It's been a while, so I thought…" He trailed off with a shrug as he turned off the stove.

She moved into the kitchen and hopped up on a barstool, pulling the plate closer to her. He closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet warmth before taking a bite.

They ate in silence, nothing but the waves outside making any noise. When they were done, he stood and held out his hand.

"Dance with me."

"Phil, I hate dancing." She replied, but deep down, she knew where this was going.

He took her hand anyway and suddenly pulled her close. "You once said you hated grilled cheese, and look at where we are now."

She chuckled, not even trying to break away as he swayed them in slow circles to the sound of the waves. When he kissed her softly, he tasted of grilled cheese.

Daisy was afraid to open the letter at first.

She paced by it several times before even picking it up, then dropping it on the bed again.

When she finally did open the envelope, several papers awaited her. However, one at the very end caught her eye.

It was just a simple piece of paper, nothing extravagant, but his handwriting was unmistakable. She traced the words with her fingers, sliding to the ground slowly.

 _Grilled Cheese Recipe_

For the first time since he left, she smiled.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I had to cut some of this down, but it feels very choppy now…

Let me know what you guys think. Also, leave me prompts or you're going to get crazy shit like this


	35. Scrap book

A/N: Wow guys….sorry for the late update. Things have been slightly crazy lately.

I have been wanting to write this one shot for a while, and I just recently had the time to sit down and write it.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

The scrapbook was old, bound in leather with faded words across the front and a musty smell when opened.

William May had handed it to her delicately, as though it might explode if dropped. In fact, it surprised Daisy a little bit that he would even let her take it.

When Phil had said in his letter to go and visit the old man, Daisy had been skeptical. But, apparently her supervising officer had told her father quite a bit about the young agent. She was secretly pleased when he seemed to know all about her, and even more so when he let her take the photo album she had spotted on a bookshelf in his home.

The first picture in it was a baby picture, no surprise there. Next to it were a medley of shots, all seemingly taken in the first year. Melinda standing with help from a bookshelf, the obligatory one-year-old-covered-in-cake shot.

There weren't many photos, at least not compared to what would normally be expected. Daisy suspected William May had more to do with the photo book than Melinda's mother.

At age seven, there was a snapshot of her in a purple ice skating outfit, a small smile on her face and a medal around her neck. Right below it was another, although maybe a year or two later.

The page was heavy as she flipped it, and on the other side, she found two small ice skating medals-one bronze and one silver.

"No first place," Daisy scoffed to herself,"slacker."

Next page was a variety of photos-two ice skating and what seemed like a gymnastics shot.

Shortly after the photos of her twelfth birthday, the photos turned into mid-action martial arts shots.

Then there was high school graduation, one of the few that featured both her mother and father in the same shot. Daisy smiled a bit to herself, running her finger along the black lines of Melinda's graduation gown. A pang of jealousy nipped at her heart.

What she wouldn't give to have a photo like this somewhere. She had dropped out of high school and gotten her GED, but some part of her had always regretted not graduating with everyone else. In her mind, though, she could picture it. Although, instead of her parents, she couldn't help but see Melinda and Coulson standing by her side.

She flipped the page, and smiled when it seemed Coulson had finally joined the party. There were very few photos of her academy days, but the ones she had were with him. Another graduation shot-this time, no parents. Instead, Phil stood by her side.

After that, the shots were few and far between. It wasn't surprising, really. Daisy assumed Melinda had joined SHIELD, so no wonder there wasn't time to put the photo book together after she left home.

There were a few with Andrew. Daisy raised one eyebrow at one particular photo on the steps of a courthouse. It was odd seeing Melinda in a white pantsuit.

After that and a couple of other miscellaneous snippets into the life of her supervising officer, the pages were blank. It took Daisy a moment to realize why….

Bahrain.

She sighed and leaned back against the wall, letting the page fall back against the others. She looked over at her phone resting on the nightstand, but all was quiet.

Melinda and Phil had been gone a week now. It hurt, honestly-the pretending more than the hoping. There was a part of her that kept insisting they were just on vacation, that they would be home soon. That they would walk through the door all tan and smiley, that he would announce that they had discovered a miracle cure or that 'Syke, I'm not really dying. Let's go get pie.'

She picked her phone up as her heartbeat thudded in her ears, and opened the only message she had received that week.

 _We're okay. Miss you. Be safe. -M_

She had sent a picture as well, a selfie of the two of them on a beach that he had taken. Daisy smiled a bit at the picture, before a thought occurred to her. She glanced back to the photo book, at the several empty pages towards the end.

By the time she finished, several hours had gone by. Her eyelids felt heavy, and the glue that she had borrowed had stuck her fingers together.

That's how Mack found her in the morning, asleep on the kitchen table. Pictures were sprawled everywhere, the glue bottle had tipped over, but the glue that had spilled from it had already dried.

He peered over her shoulder, glanced at the photos it seemed she had added in the night. A few of them he recognized, group photos, Jemma and Fitz at their wedding, Director Mace, even one small shot of Tripp and Daisy shortly before Mack had joined the team.

And there were some he didn't recognize. The group around Lola, a selfie of Jemma and Fitz in South America, even Yoyo had a spot, a picture they had taken together back when they first met.

Mack smiled to himself, picking the book up to look closer at her handiwork, careful not to disturb the recently added photos. When he made it to the back page, he took a deep breath.

A small note card had been placed on the last page, under a selfie of Phil and Melinda at the beach.

It read: _To Be Continued_


	36. Unfeeling

A/N: Hey guys! Apologies for the late update. I'm getting ready to go to Europe for three months and that requires a shit ton of paperwork.

I had a request from reviewer to write a one shot, however, this was already halfway done by the time I got that request.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it. I'm working on it now. Hopefully I will have it up by next week. This is just a filler until I have time to sit down and finish the other one.

Hope you guys enjoy! Taking it back to season one for this.

OoOoOoO

Skye wasn't oblivious.

Sure, she had dropped out of school, and sure she had lived in a van for a while, but she was quite observant.

She picked up on things, nuances, behaviors. With so many years allied with the Rising Tide, she learned to notice habits and body language. How to figure when someone was lying, or uncomfortable.

Being on the plane meant differences in how she saw things. For instance, she knew when Ward was upset because he always hit a punching bag. She could tell when Fitz was stressed because he placed his hands together like he was praying and lay them against his nose. She knew when Jemma was deep in thought, because the girl would furrow her brow and hum to herself as she worked.

Coulson tended to bottle his feelings, which wasn't surprising to Skye. However, even he had his tells. His hands would clench by his sides, his peaceful blue gaze would turn into a stormy blue ocean.

And with each of them, she knew what could make them feel better. Ward go one of two ways, she could either give him a drink, or she trained with him. Usually whatever was bothering him would come out at some point. Fitz was also easy. All she had to do was ask him something sciency and he would brighten right up and begin talking a mile a minute. Jemma was the same way. All she had to do was get her talking about another subject and whatever was bothering the girl would either be solved, or discussed.

Melinda was another story altogether.

The woman was stony….that's the only way Skye knew how to describe her. She didn't show emotion, or at least not much more than irritation. Melinda never went postal, never cried.

In all honesty, it was a skill Skye was kind of jealous of. She wished she could be unfeeling,but all she could do was wear her heart on her sleeve. Years of having her heart broken should have hardened it like a rock, but she couldn't push aside the feeling of hope that came when she joined the team. When Ward betrayed them, her heart became an icy stone in her chest. For the first time, she saw a shift in herself. No longer was she the naive agent convinced things would go well. She was pissed off and scarred. She began to understand why Melinda rarely let herself feel. It was easier that way.

But still, as she say in the near-empty playground, she found that wound wanting to reopen, to sting her. Maybe it was the loneliness-Phil had been gone for two weeks and Jemma had left. Or, maybe she was just feeling again.

She forced herself off of her bed, fighting the hurt that threatened to rise in her chest. Changing into workout clothes, she made her way down to the gym in hopes of sweating out whatever emotions threatened to engulf her.

Not even five minutes into taking swings at the punching bag, she felt a presence behind her. Sensing it was Melinda, Skye didn't stop.

There was a beat of silence for a moment as Melinda set her water bottle down.

"You're getting strong." It was a quiet compliment. Skye hesitated, hearing both the sincerity and something else in the agent's voice. She turned, a pleased blush creeping up on her face.

"Thank you."

"But you're favoring your right side." May folded her hands behind her back. Skye's smile faltered for a moment.

"W-what?" She stuttered out as May took a few steps forward.

"You punch mostly with your right hand, and lead with your right foot. It means your left side will be weaker both muscle and coordination-wise." Melinda replied. There was something…..soft…..in her eyes. "You want to be comfortable switching hand domination."

Sensing that Melinda really was trying to help, and considering it was one aspect of her training that Ward had never gotten to, she nodded eagerly. After switching positions, she went to take another jab, but felt a hand on her bicep stop her.

"Feet further apart, or you'll fall over. And don't hesitate. Punch like you would with your right. If it's a weaker shot, that's okay." She removed her hand, looking surprised herself that she had so willingly made physical contact. The contact was surprising for Skye as well, but she shook it off and turned her attention back to the bag.

The punch was not quite as strong as she was used to, and it felt strange, almost foreign to be relying on that arm alone.

"Not bad." May nodded, giving her a smirk. Skye smiled a bit at the praise.

Melinda moved over to the treadmill to begin her run, but before she could, Skye called her name.

"Hey May." Skye sighed, not really sure how to phrase what she wanted to ask. "Do you- you think you could, you know, help me? With training, I mean." Seeing the stoic look on Melinda's face, she worried she had overstepped. "Since Ward left, I don't really have a supervising officer."

At the mention of Ward,there was a flicker of irritation across Melinda's face. Skye worried once again that she had said the wrong thing.

"Sure."

The young agent's head tilted up in surprise at the nonchalant answer.

"But it won't be easy."

Skye slowly nodded in disbelief. "O-okay."

"Okay." Melinda nodded quietly. "I start Tai Chi at 5:30. Training starts at 7."

She moved over to the treadmill and started it up, leaving Skye with a small smile on her face.

Melinda was stoic, quiet, fearless in the face of danger. She also liked honey in her green tea, and she was surprisingly good at poker. May couldn't cook worth a damn and loved Thai food and had trained under Peggy Carter. Skye found out that she loved the rain and a decent book when she was in the mood. She wasn't stony, not in the slightest. She just didn't show emotions like the rest, didn't wear her heart on her sleeve.

There were years of walls around her heart, but she felt and she cared, more than Skye even realized.

Maybe Skye was a bit more oblivious than she thought.


	37. 5x01 Request

Hey Guys!

I apologize for the very sporadic updates. With work and preparing to go to Europe for three months, my life has been insane. I did get a prompt, however, and wanted to sit and crank it out so she didn't think I had forgotten about her.

So Kara has asked me to go into 5x01 and rewrite it. Being, however that this is a one shot series, trying to do that would be like trying to stuff cats into a bag.

Sooo I decided to rewrite a particular segment- in this case, when and how Phil finds May. I hope that will suffice, and maybe I can do more season five lighthouse shots in the future to make up for not rewriting the whole season.

Enjoy!

 _AU in which Coulson finds May first._

OoOoOoO

He comes to with a gasp of breath, inhaling the musty smell of the dark room they were housed in. For a moment, the light ahead of him the only thing in the room besides them.

Them.

He feels them by his side, jerks his head around to find her, and sighs in relief that she's there. She made it too, to wherever they were currently being held. She looks up at him, nods curtly. The confusion in her gaze matches his own.

"Everybody alright?" He calls, glancing around.

It's then he notices the monolith. That _damn_ monolith. He wants nothing more than to throw something at that stupid hunk of white rock.

It turns liquid. He braces himself.

The last thing he feels before darkness is her small hand clasped in his.

There's pain.

Raw, fiery pain shooting through every ounce of her leg, radiating up through her thigh. Melinda groans, fighting the blackening edge of her vision.

 _Focus. Focus._

She's a specialist, a _good_ specialist. She knows how to deal with pain. Taking a deep breath, she looks down at the pipe sticking out of her leg.

"Come on." She murmurs to herself, looking around for something, anything. She spots it, a belt. Leaning down, she fumbles for a bit before grabbing the belt buckle and yanking as hard as she can. It slides off of its wearer and she takes it victoriously. After securing it around her thigh, she pulls on the pipe.

Hard.

It comes out and she fights a scream of pain as blackness threatens to drown her. There's footsteps, boots on metal. She barely has enough time to hobble painfully and hide. She can't crouch down, not like this. All she can do is press her back against the wall and cling to the metal pipe.

He comes in, pokes around at the several dead bodies that remain there. It's only when he leaves that she dares come out.

 _Bam._

He's there. He shoves her. _Hard._ Her head collides with something metallic and her vision swims. His arm is pressed against her windpipe, cutting off her airways.

"I've been looking for you."

 _Fight._

Her instincts kick in. She head butts him, sending him skittering back a few steps. Her arm comes up with the pipe and she lands a decent blow with the pipe. He's recovered in an instant, delivers a blow to her abdomen and then a kick to her leg where he knows it hurts.

She raises the pipe to hit him, but her reflexes are too slow. He catches it, knocks the pipe aside easily. She kicks up with her good leg, knocking him in the groin. But she doesn't expect him to place his belt buckle on her.

She's sent flying to the other wall.

"Damn. I was not prepared for that, I gotta admit." He's breathing heavy. "You pack a big punch for such a small package. I have to read the fine print next time."

She growls low at him.

He points to the belt buckle pinning her to the wall. "I hate wasting the charge on that thing. Honestly, I wasn't trying to-"

There's a loud metallic clang and he crumples to the floor. Her breath hitches, and it isn't until she meets Phil's concerned gaze that she sighs in relief.

"Hey you." He murmurs, moving towards her and fidgeting with the belt buckle. Melinda is released from the wall, and he catches her before she falls to the ground.

"Thank you." She murmurs into his shoulder as he lowers her carefully. His warmth, his familiar smell. She finally begins to calm down to some degree. He sets her gingerly on the floor, and hovers over her, checking out her injury.

"We're in space?" Melinda murmurs, watching his face.

"Looks that way." He frowns. "Who's that guy?" He gestures to the unconscious attacker.

"No idea."

"And yet you kicked his ass, while injured." Phil smirks humorously. "Impressive."

"We should probably tie him up." She suggests, fighting the blush on her face.

He moves away from her long enough to look around, before finding a decent scrap of cloth (she doesn't ask where he found it). After dragging the man to the wall, Phil affixes his restraints and then steps back to admire his handiwork.

"So any ideas as to where we are?" She asks into the quiet. There's a ripping sound, and he appears with a cloth to bind her injury.

"Nope." Phil shrugs. "I was on my way to find the others when I heard yelling. Figured it was you." He wraps her leg tightly, then remains kneeled there. "You get anything out of this guy before going all 'kung-fu' on him?"

"Only that he was looking for me." Melinda replies, wincing a bit at the ache in her thigh.

"Hey," chocolate eyes meet concerned blues, "You gonna be alright?"

She nods slowly, unsurely. Then, realizing that she couldn't fool him even if she tried, she sighs heavily. "I want to go home, Phil. To my own bed and take out."

"I do, too." He replies, standing slowly. He offers her his hand and she takes it to pull herself up. "But for now, we have to find a way out of this mess." He doesn't release her hand, instead pulling her so close that there was barely an inch between them. "Are you gonna be okay?"

The guy stirs, waking slowly.

"Yeah, I will be." She nods quietly. "But for now, let's find out what's going on."


	38. Phone Call Home Request

A/N: BWAHAHAHAHA I got this one shot request from Devan Alexander and it's kind of genius.

 _Phil gets a call from Melinda's Mother during the framework episodes_

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Phil Coulson had met literal monsters, been stabbed through the heart by a psychotic Asguardian, spent time on another planet, almost been blown off of a plane. He had been with the avengers, seen aliens, dealt with Melinda during fight training.

And yet, there were very few things that scared him more than Lian May.

It wasn't that she was a bad person, really. She could actually be quite nice. And she could cook like nobody's business.

But when the woman got angry, she threw looks that could kill and got revenge in the worst of ways.

One memory in particular occurred when Melinda and Andrew eloped spontaneously, she had somehow frozen all of their credit cards, as payback for not being invited along.

Coulson had never really had any problems with Lian, but he'd also not spoken to her very often since joining SHIELD. Aside from a holiday phone call once and a while, the two hadn't interacted

That is why, as he was preparing to fly to meet Agnes, he was very confused when his phone began chiming.

"Lian, how ar-"

"Phillip Coulson, _where_ is my daughter?"

He sucked in a breath and shoved his free hand into his pocket. Daisy looked up from where she was perched on his desk, tablet in hand.

"I was going to call you. I-"

" _Phillip J. Coulson_ , I asked _where_ my daughter was." Her voice was harsh and biting. He could feel the blood draining from his face. She must have seen the missing agent report. With all of her contacts, it was no wonder she found out. He had been hoping to keep this conversation at bay a while longer.

Lack of sleep, lack of an appetite, anxiety, and now this. How was he supposed to explain to her that her daughter had been kidnapped and replaced with a robot? That he had made out with said robot and then practically gave her a magic doom book? It sounded crazy in his head, not to mention out loud.

"I don't know." It was nothing more than a murmur.

Daisy sat up at the change in tone, worry gracing her features.

He braced himself for the onslaught from the other end, but nothing came. There was just a silence.

"You _will_ find her."

Even Fury couldn't match the commanding nature of her tone. She was a spy, a good one. And like Melinda, she was careful with her emotions, keeping them locked behind stone walls and not giving away the key.

But even still, he could hear the worry in her voice.

"I won't stop looking till I do." He replied, matching her conviction. Though, the tears still threatened the back of his eyes. He strolled over to the window, keeping his gaze outside. "We're doing everything we can, Lian."

"Call me when you find her." Her voice softened at the worry that was thick in his voice. He smiled just a bit. It was the same tone Melinda used with Daisy.

"I promise."

She hung up, not saying anymore.

He didn't want to eat until they found her, _alive._ But when they were finished at the now-destroyed playground, he found himself ravenous. The others must have felt the same, because they agreed unanimously at his suggestion of food.

But, as they were leaving the plane, he remembered what he had said, and pulled out his phone, telling the others to continue on without him.

She picked up on the first ring.

"We found her. She's alright." He watched Melinda's form as she walked with the others, looking alive and healthy and _beautiful._ It made his heart want to do the salsa in his chest.

"Thank you, Phillip." She replied quietly.

"I'll have her call you soon." He nodded to himself, a smile gracing his features.

"I look forward to it. And Phil-" He was about to shut his phone off, but returned it to his ear, not expecting her to speak more. "Don't you _dare_ let her go missing again, you understand?"

There was no threat behind her words, and he fought back his chuckle. "Yes ma'am."

He laughed to himself as she clicked off and then moved to join the team, who were waiting at the edge of the treeline.

"Who was that earlier?" Melinda leaned over to murmur to him as they were waiting for their food. Her hands were perched on either side of a cup of tea.

"Your mother." He grumbled, faking irritation. "I called to tell her you were okay."

"She found out I was missing?" Melinda sat back incredulously.

"Yup. And She called me."

"Great." Melinda replied sarcastically, shaking her head. "Another thing for her to bug me about."

OoOoOoO

A/N: Woah! Two chapters in one night? Craziness!


	39. Speeding Ticket-Request

A/N: Hello my babies!

LoneWolfOneill requested this one

 _Daisy gets a speeding ticket while driving Lola...with May in the car._

OoOoOoO

The mission started out with gunfire.

It was normal for them. In fact, Daisy honestly felt better when people _were_ shooting at her. Missions that went well only served to make her paranoid.

After successfully finding an underground HYDRA training facility, the ground team moved to take down any agents on the inside. Three SHIELD agents were found locked in cells, one of them badly beaten.

So when the female victim asked Coulson if he'd stay with her on the ride to the medical center, he was inclined to say yes.

It wasn't the first time this had happened. Coulson was a friendly face, a trusted ally. Even low ranking members of the organization knew about his work with the Avengers. However, there was a slight hitch.

Having been on recon in Lola when he got the call about SHIELD finding the base, that meant his beautiful red Corvette would be sitting there until he could get back to her.

So he hesitated a moment, keys in hand, trying to decide what to do, until his eyes caught Daisy.

Daisy? No.

But then again…

May was on the other side of the compound, and he didn't want just anyone driving his girl.

He hummed to himself, torn, before shaking his head.

"Daisy." The young agent jogged over.

"What's up Coulson?"

He threw his keys lightly into the air and she caught them easily. "Don't wreck my car. And get May along the way."

He turned before he could see the slow smile spread across her face. Phil didn't want to regret making that decision. He cast one glance at his car before joining the hurt agent in the ambulance.

Daisy tossed the keys up playfully and caught them, excitement flaring in her chest. Driving Lola? It was a big step of trust for him. She felt a bit...pleased.

She headed over to where the car was parked and, after adjusting the seat and figuring out where the lights were, she started the engine.

She felt the low purr of the engine, the hum of the beautiful car coming to life under her hands. It was breathtaking. She was hesitant on the gas at first.

After getting the hang of the brakes, she slowly made her way over to the other side of the facility, where Melinda was waiting to be picked up. Her eyebrows raised slightly when she saw Daisy in the driver's seat.

"I'm surprised he gave you the keys." She commented, sliding into the passenger side.

"Same." Daisy bit her lip, a mischievous glint in her eye. "What do you say we take the interstate back?"

Of course, May could always say no. She was the cautious one, and she knew that Coulson would want his car back to the base ASAP. However….it was close to midnight. And the roads would be quiet. And the pleading look that Daisy was giving her, well it was hard to say no.

"Just be careful." May cautioned, buckling with a sigh. Daisy's smirk blew into a full blown grin and she put Lola in drive.

For a while, things were actually going pretty well. Surprising to May, Daisy wasn't a bad driver. She knew her way around that car as though it were her own.

The problem was her lead foot, something May warned her about every five seconds right up until the flashing lights showed up behind them. Daisy's grin slid off her face as she pulled over, and her hands turned icy where they gripped the steering wheel.

Thankfully, she kept her badge and license in a pocket at her hip. Otherwise, she would have really been screwed.

 _Maybe she could flirt her way out_. The thought flashed briefly across her mind until she realized that the officer was a woman, and a tough looking one at that.

"Do you know how fast you were driving? License and registration please."

She waited impatiently as Daisy pulled her license out of her pocket and May pulled the registration out of the glove box.

She took them both and disappeared a moment. May rested a hand on Daisy's where she still gripped the steering wheel.

"It'll be okay." She said quietly as the officer reappeared at the window.

"Ma'am, you were going 85 in a 60. I'm going to have to give you a ticket..."

The rest of her words were drowned out as Daisy's heart thumped louder and louder in her ears. She didn't realize the officer was even gone until May shook her lightly.

"Why don't I drive back?"

Daisy nodded haltingly, finally unfreezing, and they quickly switched sides. The car was silent as May began the drive back to base.

After a moment, Daisy looked over and noticed her SO was actually smiling, as though she was holding back her laughter.

"This isn't funny, May."

Melinda passed her a look. "It is kind of funny."

"Coulson's gonna kill me." Daisy sighed, resting her head back against the headrest dramatically.

"No he's not." She replied quietly. "It's not like it's the first time Lola has ever gotten a speeding ticket." She elaborated when Daisy's eyebrows shot up. "He was quite the show off at the Academy."

For a moment, Daisy didn't say anything. And then, a slow smile spread across her face. She felt it bubbling up in her chest...a desire to giggle at the whole situation.

She was laughing before May could even register the change, doubled over as her shoulders shook. By the time they reached the base, her stomach hurt.

Of course she, a SHIELD agent with alien abilities, who had seen other planets and met monsters, would be pulled over close to midnight and given a speeding ticket the first time she EVER got to drive Lola.

Would she have to appear in court? The thought ignited another giggle.

Melinda looked back at her, eyebrow raised, wondering if the girl was okay in the head.

But hey, at least she could find light in the fact that Lola was pulled over. Coulson would want to know what happened when she took out his car, and Melinda was reluctant to lie to him.

The thought must have also occurred to Daisy, because she paused in the hallway, realization dawning on her features.

"I am so screwed, aren't I?" She mumbled. "He's never gonna let me drive again."

"Probably not for a while at least." Melinda chuckled.

"Will you talk to him?" she pleaded.

"And say what?" Melinda asked incredulously. "You got the ticket, not me."

"I'm totally grounded." Daisy muttered to herself. Melinda shook her head and continued walking down the hallway.

"C'mon, May. Help me please." Daisy called after her SO, but the agent was having none of it. She placed her hands on her hips just as Coulson entered from the doors behind her, jacket slung over his arm.

"Oh I am so screwed." Daisy muttered to herself.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I had fun writing that one. Leave me prompts in reviews or pm me. I'm up for almost anything. Ciao


	40. Stark's Goodbye

A/N: Hey guys!

I've been wanting to write this forever, and I'm just getting the inspiration to actually sit down and get it done.

This is based off the theory that Stark time travels at some point in Avengers 4, and that he goes back disguised as one of Loki's guards during the first Avengers film.

I hope that makes sense…

And because of that, this will be told in Tony's point of view...Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

His breath was cold. Every inhale felt like it was freezing the inside of his throat.

 _Keep moving. Hurry_

He didn't have much time. Tony just hoped the guard he knocked out would stay hidden long enough for him to accomplish his mission.

He glanced forwards towards Loki, watched him with narrowed brown eyes. But the words of Bruce Banner echoed in his ears.

 _Loki….It was all Thanos._

He could see it too. Although Loki maintained this aloof facade, Tony could see the wildness in his eyes, the gaunt cheeks, the fear that lingered in his pupils. He was terrified, of Thanos, of what he was doing. It almost made Tony feel bad for him.

He kept up with the other guards, stepping in time, hoping his mask hid his face well enough from the others. The uniform was a bit roomy on him, but that was better than too tight.

When they passed the lab, he had to force himself to look away from the past, to not let himself run forward and warn the younger Tony Stark of what was to come.

" _You will never sleep again!" He would scream. "You will never be content, be happy!"_

But he couldn't. He had a job to do.

His only hesitation occurred when he felt it. The piercing and familiar blue gaze as they moved down to the lower levels.

Phil Coulson.

Alive, standing there on the side, tablet in hand. He looked so young, so naive. A flash of excitement crossed his cerulean blues.

He was so...human. And, with Tony knowing what he knew, so fragile.

Tony paused before he realized he should have kept walking, falling out of line easily. The other guards took little notice. Phil frowned as he moved closer.

"Everything alright, soldier?" He asked kindly.

" _LOKI IS GOING TO KILL YOU!"_ He wanted to scream. " _GET OUT NOW."_

But he couldn't. It choked him to realize that. Phil Coulson, the man who would bring them all together. He had to die. And that realization, the fact that Tony shouldn't save him, was enough to make tears burn at the back of his eyes.

"I just...I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan, Agent Coulson." Tony stuck out his hand.

Phil frowned, confusion flashing across his face, before he smiled a bit and shook Tony's hand. Of course, he didn't know who the mysterious soldier was who was giving him a compliment. It was for the best.

"Thanks." He smiled warmly in reply.

Stark had to force himself away, to keep walking fast enough to catch up with the rest of the guards.

He shouldn't have done that, he knew he shouldn't have interfered, but the guilt of what had transpired had been something haunting him for years. Phil Coulson had been a good man, and it seemed the good men were few and far between in Stark's life. Shaking his hand, telling him that Phil was his hero without saying the words, was his way of trying to give him something to remember in those last few moments of his life.

And maybe, just maybe, it was his way of saying goodbye.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I know it's short...I wanted to elaborate on it but it just felt good the way it was.


	41. Kids

A/N: Hey guys! Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted. What with three weekends in a row of visiting family and work, I just haven't had the chance.

This is a real quick short chapter to tide y'all over until I get the chance to write Kara's request. I have to rewatch 5x04 in order to do that.

Anyways, hope y'all enjoy.

OoOoOoO

"You know what I could go for right now?"

Skye's question was met with apprehension from the whole group, as she once again tried to break the silence of the car ride.

"An ICEE." She finished with a determined nod. "It's been so long since I've had one."

"An ICEE?" Jemma frowned, curiosity in her chocolate irises, from her position at the window.

"Is that like the ice drink thing?"

"You have GOT to be joking?" Skye dropped her phone on the seat and leaned forward, looking between the twin geniuses. "Have you guys not heard of an ICEE before?"

"Well of course we've heard of it." Fitz scoffed. "But I don't think we've ever actually had one before, now that you mention it."

Skye gaped open-mouthed at Ward, who sat in the third row of seats next to her. He just shrugged with a smirk.

"Coulson, we have to stop and get a slurpee." She called up to the front, where Phil sat in the passenger's seat.

"Skye, it's almost two in the morning and we're only half an hour from the bus." He shook his head, casting an incredulous glance to May, who was driving.

"Oh come on, AC! They haven't tried one yet! And who knows when they will have the chance again!" She cried. Of course, her reasons were probably entirely selfish. She wanted a Coke ICEE no matter what, and she wasn't ashamed of using Fitzsimmons to get it.

"Oh it's alright-" Jemma tried to interject, but Fitz cut her off.

"Actually I'd really like to try one!"

She sent him an exasperated glare.

"Pleeeaaassseeee." Skye pouted, leaning forward.

Ward just chuckled and shook his head at her antics.

"Up to you, boss." Phil leaned over and murmured to Melinda.

Knowing May, she'd want to head straight on to the bus. It had been a long night of kicking ass and getting shot at, plus she still had to get the plane in the air. Skye felt the hope deflate in her chest at the thought.

That hope fluttered again when she noticed they had gotten off at an exit.

"We need gas." May replied simply, ignoring the surprised look her partner was giving next to her.

After a moment, May pulled the Suburban into a 7/Eleven and parked at a pump. One by one, all seven of them climbed out to stretch their legs and drink in the night air.

"Thank you May!" Skye called excitedly, reaching her hands up to stretch her back.

May smiled a bit as she turned towards the pump to begin fueling.

"You have five minutes. Make it count."

Skye and Fitz looked at one another before jogging across the parking lot and racing inside to find the slushee machines.

When all was said and done, five minutes turned into fifteen, with May threatening to leave them behind but not actually committing to it. Aside from 'always-healthy' Ward, who grabbed a protein bar, their haul looked as though they were starting their own convenience store. Skye had convinced Fitz to try something called a Funyun, while Coulson tried to decide between two kinds of donuts. Then, they must have each picked up some kind of of drink, with Skye daring Ward to chug a Mountain Dew and Jemma carefully intervening before they got too carried away. After all seven of them, Melinda included, had gotten a ICEE, Skye finally calmed down and they checked out.

The clerk was probably the only one who noticed the exasperated look between Coulson and May, but he was too tired and bored to comment.

An hour later, after taste testing all of the candy they bought and Fitzsimmons both carefully navigating brain freezes, Melinda pulled the SUV up into the hold of their plane, and clicked the engine off with a sigh.

"We should-"

Coulson held a finger up to stop her, and gestured with his head towards the too-quiet back seat. She turned and was met with quite the sight.

All of them were asleep, even Ward. Fitz sat in the aisle, not even in a seat, head lying on Jemma's arm rest. An open bag of Skittles rested in his lap, his ICEE cup lay empty on the floor beside him. Jemma had her head against the window, her drink between her knees. Even the stoic Ward had dozed off, head resting on his hand and elbow propped up on the window. Skye rested her head on his lap, gummy worm hanging between her fingers that hung over the seat.

Their positions looked super uncomfortable, and yet, they dozed so peacefully that Phil didn't want to wake them.

Melinda turned back around and removed the keys from the ignition.

"Should we leave them?" He wondered out loud, voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, I don't want to wake them." She murmured in reply. "Let's let them sleep. I'll go get the engines going."

He offered her a warm smile and nodded, opening his door to get out.

At some point, they must have all gotten up and dredged themselves to bed, leaving the SUV reluctantly.

Melinda probably should have been angry when she came down the next morning and found candy all over the floor, empty bags and cups in the seats.

They were agents of an elite organization. They had to conduct themselves accordingly. But a small smirk appeared on her face as another thought replaced that one.

They were just kids.

It was hard to remember that sometimes.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Again, don't hate me for not posting the prompt. I promise I will get to it.

Thanks for reading. Love ya!


	42. 5x04 Rewrite-Request

A/N: Hey all! I'm back and alone for the weekend, which means a very big flatscreen to myself and all the time to write.

So, here is Kara's rewrite of 5x04...namely, the scene where Phil leaves Melinda behind.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

 _Stick together._

That had been his philosophy. The hope that Daisy and Jemma were together, wherever they may have been, was the only thing keeping his chin above the rising waters. Mack and Yo-Yo could protect one another-he was a giant and she had superspeed.

He and Melinda, on the other hand, were not as superhumanly endowed as the others.

He tried to ignore that fact as they looked for Deke. He tried to reason with his nerves, tried to convince himself that being human blending in as they moved through the halls, but he felt like someone had attached a large red flag to his back.

Even when they found Deke, and when they were alone on level 35, he still felt like they were being watched

That feeling was forgotten when they found the baby still in it's incubator, dark hazel eyes beaming at them with an innocence unfitting of the lighthouse.

It was an indication of so many things. The cheesy part of him wanted to say it was a symbol of hope and life. But the dark corners of his heart must have realized that the child was nothing more than a tool, a symbol of desperation.

"They treat children as commodities?" He exclaimed to Deke, feeling Melinda stiffen behind him. She always was wary around children, even babies, but the little one just cooed and slobbered on it's own hand.

"How do you think things are done around here?" Deke scoffed quietly. "It's the only way people can have kids anymore."

"I'm sorry?" Phil forced a chuckle. "The _only_ way?"

Melinda left his side to go look around the room, suddenly feeling just the slightest bit uncomfortable at the way the conversation was heading.

"People don't get pregnant anymore." Deke explained, his gaze turning into something...unidentifiable.

"Super." COulson replied sarcastically after a moment. He glanced briefly at May, who offered him a sympathetic frown, and then back to Deke. "And the vibe goes full dystopian."

He had wondered numerous times since arriving at this damn place if this was some elaborate dream, or if he was still in the framework. But now, he _hoped_ he was.

Sterilization. Deke explained the process briefly. Phil found his head swimming with the implications of this whole process, responding automatically.

"Phil." Melinda made her way back over, jaw tightened. Something had shifted. She was pissed. "I found something."

"What?" He frowned at her, and she didn't stop in front of him.

"Him." She lashed out and landed a punch to the face that easily broke his nose. Her eyes were fiery.

"May?" What was wrong? What had she seen?

"The lab got a new sample their supposed to use." She brought up the screen and he felt his fists tighten at his sides in pure, unadulterated rage. "For _inhuman_ genes."

"Daisy." He breathed. His icy gaze turned to Deke, who was backing away slowly. "And it says they've been holding her since yesterday." It was about the only thing he could read off of the screen through the wash of red rage.

"Is that what that thing says, because-"

He was trying to find some explanation, but his heart thudded too loudly in his chest to finish the sentence, and Coulson interrupted him anyway.

"You said you were helping her this morning. Why would you lie about Daisy unless you sold her out?" Phil was trying not to go all Bruce Lee on this kid's ass, and was finding it very difficult.

"Ok, this is probably the part where I should explain-"

"This is the part where May breaks your face." Coulson bit back. Deke had successfully pissed off Mama Bear, and she wasn't likely to leave him breathing. "Explaining-kinda secondary."

"Okay, you're mad. I get that." He tried to calm himself to explain.

"Are they using her for _breeding_?" She voiced the question Phil was too scared to ask.

"It seems that way, but that's not why Kasius wanted her." Deke hurriedly tried to explain, hoping she would at least leave him alive after the incoming beating.

"You did sell her out." Phil accused.

"Yes, but-'

The creaking of the massive metal doors jarred them from their argument. Deke tried to convince the smurf patrol that they really were just lost, but Phil was too angry to try and plead.

He picked up a metal chair and swung as hard as he could, but it didn't even faze the Kree soldier when it whacked against his face.

May threw herself into the fight, letting her rage guide her as she dodged the spear coming at her. She took care of her Kree easily, and turned just as another stabbed Deke in the abdomen.

The third she and Phil tag teamed, until he was blown back into glass and knocked unconscious.

More footsteps echoed in the hall, and they quickly got Deke on his feet.

"You and Deke get out of here. I'll hold them off." She made sure that the idiot was standing before letting go of him.

"No, we stick together." He insisted.

"Phil," Her dark eyes bore into his,"I've got this. Go."

He looked at her, considering for a moment. She was so close and her proximity was intoxicating. He remembered briefly their moment in the library before nodding slowly. He had to trust that she could make it on her own.

She watched his retreating form a moment, before turning her attention back to the blue bastards, as Daisy called them. However, there was only one, A woman. Melinda readied her spear, took up her fighting stance.

The woman was _good._ Too good _._ All Melinda could do was dodge and roll and try to defend herself as best as she could. For every punch she delivered, Sinara delivered two that were twice as hard.

Pain blossomed across her body as she was slammed into a table, and fell to the ground. The world tossed and turned and her stomach felt like she's ingested lead. She couldn't see straight, only the blurry figure as it approached her slowly, like a cat stalking its prey.

There was a crunch, a sharp intake of breath, and the figure dropped to the ground.

"Phil?" She muttered weakly, willing her vision to clear. A warm hand cupped her cheeks, gave her a lifeline back to reality as the swimming of her vision faded.

"You really think I would leave you behind?" He murmured with a chuckle. She held out her hand and he took it, helping her to her feet.

"I told you to stay with Deke." She grumbled, doubling over and squeezing her eyes shut as a wave of nausea rolled over her.

"He's...uh... _tied up_ in the elevators. He won't be going anywhere any time soon." He kept his hand on her elbow while she stood slowly, feeling slightly better. "I'm a stubborn bastard, remember?"

How could she forget? She smirked, took in a deep breath. Her hand moved up to rest on his arm.

"Thank you, Phil." She meant it genuinely. He could have left her behind, taken care of Deke.

He didn't reply, but a small smile seemed firmly in place. She froze, watching him step closer and not being able to move away from his gaze. He was so close that his breath felt cool on her cheeks.

There was a groan from the floor as Sinara stirred, seemingly not down for the count. She seemed about to get up when suddenly Phil grabbed the spear and planted it firmly in her midsection. She stilled, dead.

He turned back to Melinda, spear still in hand, and was about to say something, but she silenced whatever he was going to say by kissing him, _hard._

The spear clattered to the floor in surprise. She smiled against his mouth and suddenly pulled away.

"Let's go get our girl." She picked up the spear as she moved to the elevators, leaving him behind to smile breathlessly.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I may be posting more this weekend. I'm a writing machine fueled by mac and cheese and ice cream and spite. Did you hear they start filming season six at the end of the month? I just hope Coulson comes back...Anyways, enough rambling. I own nothing


	43. Green Mugs

A/N: wow sorry guys. I thought I had posted this yesterday but I guess not.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

She didn't mean to.

It was a mantra running through her head as she bolted back to her bunk, chest heaving and heart fluttering in her chest.

"She's gonna be so pissed." She said out loud to the empty room, barely above a whisper. "God, what have I done?"

Daisy pulled away from the door, glancing around the room for something, anything that could help her out of this mess. A spare hand towel lay on her bed. She yanked it off and went running back to the kitchen, avoiding the worried stares as she flew past agents and techies.

It still sat there on the table, undisturbed.

"Good. No one knows." she sighed, and began sweep the shards of ceramic into the small hand towel.

Melinda May's green mug. Her go to for tea in the mornings and water at nights. And now it lay fragmented in a thousand shards on the kitchen counter.

It had been an accident, of course. Daisy had been messing with her gauntlets as she entered the kitchen. A sudden, unexpected vibration sent May's freshly-washed mug tumbling to the ground.

She carefully scooped the fragments into the towel and hurriedly disposed of them in the trash can before grabbing the broom off the back of the door.

"What are you doing?"

She froze, broom in hand, and turned slowly to face her Supervising officer, who watched her curiously from the doorway.

"Just….sweeping…." Daisy tried to remain normal, haphazardly hiding the broom behind her back.

If Melinda suspected anything, she didn't indicate it. She just shook her head. "Coulson wants to see you. Hurry up." she glanced skeptically down to the broom, but said nothing more.

Daisy didn't relax until she had vanished down the hall. She let out a deep sigh, leaning heavily on the broom.

One the scraps and dust from the mug had been thrown away, she frowned, unsure of what to do next.

 _Coulson. He might know what to do._

She was supposed to be meeting with him anyway, she could ask about a possible solve.

Set on her decision, she returned the broom to the back of the door and quickly made her way over to his office where he waited patiently.

She barely paid attention during his briefing, mind still on that stupid mug in the garbage can. May was going to kill her. She knew that.

 _Maybe I should write my will_.

"Daisy?" Phil jostled her from her thoughts. "You alright?

"Oh yeah, fine." She replied, trying her best to look nonchalant.

His bright eyes narrowed briefly, but he didn't argue. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest.

"Agent David will go with you. Remember, this is a stake out. We don't want to get involved unless absolutely necessary."

She nodded eagerly, feigning excitement.

"Hey, random question." She tried her best to be flippant, nonchalant. "That mug that May has, where'd she get it?"

He frowned, thinking about it. "Well, I think her mom gave it to her. I seem to remember her having at it at the Academy."

 _Fantastic. It was old. Now what was she going to do?_

"Okay thanks. We leave at 19:00, right?" She began to hastily make her exit.

"18:00." He called out as she turned the corner, shaking his head.

 _I wish she'd listen occasionally._

 _OoOoOoO_

It took twenty bucks and an ice cream cone for Agent David to 'forget' about the run to Target after their stake out was complete. But she found it, a green mug almost identical to the one May frequently used. She sighed victoriously as she made her way to the kitchen to wash and replace the mug on the drying rack. Hopefully, May wouldn't notice.

She almost dropped the mug when she entered.

It wasn't uncommon for Melinda and Phil to share a drink at the end of the day. In fact, they were often quick to invite her down for tea or coffee, and sometimes Coulson would pull out board games if the others joined.

What made her almost drop the mug wasn't the fact that they were sitting there talking, or that he had a book he had bookmarked sitting next to him, but rather that Melinda was drinking tea.

From her green mug.

 _WHAT?_

"Hey Daisy. How did it go?"

 _He meant the mission. Stay calm_.

"Oh fine. Nothing interesting." She slowly moved the mug behind her, trying not to draw attention to it. "David has the report for you when you're r-ready."

He raised one eyebrow at her stutter, her nervous tone.

May beat him to the punch by asking "Why do you have Anderson's mug?"

"Anderson's mug?" Daisy looked down to the green mug in her hands, then back up, feigning ease. "He let me borrow it. For a thing."

Melinda nodded slowly, hiding a smirk behind her mug, and she gave Coulson a knowing glance.

"I'm just gonna-" Daisy's voice faltered, and she moved over to the sink to quickly wash it and set it to dry. She ducked out of the kitchen quickly before either of the senior agents could ask her anything else, breathing a sigh of relief as she entered the hallway.

 _Anderson's mug? He had the same one as May? What the HELL?_

Coulson's gaze left Daisy's retreating form, and return to Melinda, who was fighting a laugh.

"You gonna tell her?"

"Nah." She shook her head good naturedly. "These mugs were dollar store finds. In fact, the one she got him is probably nicer than the original."

He could barely stifle his laugh, returning to his book.

"Although, the color is a bit off." She shrugged. He gave up holding in his chuckles. Daisy was far enough from the kitchen to hear anyway.

"You'll have to tell her eventually." He replied.

"Yeah, I know." She sighed, taking another sip. "But for tonight, I'll let her sweat it out. It's what she gets for lying to me."

She said it goodnaturedly, standing up and stretching from her time at the table. Once her mug was washed, dried, and returned to her cupboard, she made to leave the kitchen.

All the while muttering "Sweeping, my ass." as she walked out the door.


	44. Lola pt 2

A/N: Hey all! Sorry about the wait. I had another idea for this chapter, but it would have been really long and I feel like it would have been really cliche.

Anyways, here is a different story. Slight Phillinda. Enjoy!

Based on the phrase: "I have this image in my head. An early mission of ours. Maybe...Madrid?...He gave me the keys, and told me not to tell anyone"

OoOoOoO

Every part of this mission made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

It had been thought through, every second planned out. The building had been scoured for months, details layouts printed, security details mapped. But still, despite all of his preparation and planning, something still gnawed at his gut.

"Coulson." Despite the fact that he had been with Melinda for over an hour now, her soft voice in the dark startled the hell out of him so bad he physically jumped. "You need to relax."

"I know." He hissed back. "It's just….something doesn't feel right."

They had knocked out the perimeter guards easily and paused as they entered in the sub-basement floor of the supposedly 'abandoned' warehouse consuming massive amounts of electricity. Agent Harris was in their ear, guiding them through security doors, warning them about patrols. It wa going…..well. Maybe that's what had him on edge?

"No, I get it." She replied, dropping her gun ever so slightly. He watched through his night vision goggles as she nudged an unconscious guard with her boot. "Something does feel off."

" _You guys doing alright?"_ Harris asked over comms.

"I'm not really sure." Phil replied.

"Something feels off." Melinda finished. Coming from him, it would have sounded paranoid. Coming from her, well, it was a sign that something really was wrong.

" _Like what?"_

"Security detail is smaller, the building is _supposed_ to be lit, but we are in total darkness. I think they knew we were coming." She replied.

" _Hmm….HQ wants you to continue with the mission. The plans for the Hydra submarine are in that base. We have eyes and ears on you. You'll be fine."_

Her words were less than comforting. Phil and Melinda passed one another a frustrated glance and continued on down the hall. At a fork in the path, she went right while Phil went left.

She only noticed it because she looked down at her boot, at the stupid zipper that was trying to slide down. _There_ , only an inch off the ground, was a trip wire.

"PHIL!" She tried to warn him, but an explosion wracked the building. She skidded back down the hall to find him and was met with a cloud of white smoke.

" _Agent May, what's going on?"_

She ignored the voice in her ear for a moment, and staggered back, trying to find some way through the cloud. It stung her nose and throat, burned her eyes. But there was no fire. So….what kind of gas was it?

She reached in her bag, found the gas mask and threw it over her face. After only a brief moment of hesitation, she dived in, hoping she'd find her partner before whatever this was did any permanent damage.

"Melinda."

It was faint and weak, but she heard it. She drove forward, until she stepped on something lumpy.

"Oww." He muttered. She grabbed whatever it was, felt a hand clamp around her forearm, and pulled backward.

Once she was sure they were clear of the smoke, she took her mask off. "What the hell?!" She cried to him.

He looked at her a moment with a blank stare, before cracking up.

" _What the hell?"_ he mocked, before falling into hysterical fits of laughter.

"Oh god." She sighed in irritation. The lights flickered on around them, sirens began blaring.

" _Agent May, report."_

"They knew we were coming. Coulson's been hit by gas and the alarms just went off. We need extraction, _now."_ There was no reply. Melinda cursed under her breath, before looking down at her partner, who was currently staring at his hands in wonder.

She took his hand, pulled him up roughly, and supported him, trying to maneuver them down the hall as best she could. May removed the gun from the holster at her hip and turned off the safety.

"Hey. H-hey you." Phil poked her cheek rather roughly as she raised the gun, taking out two guards with clean shots. "You're really pretty."

"Shut up. Please." She hissed back.

They were three levels up from where they entered. Going back that way would probably best, mostly because the car was hidden in a back alley nearby. However, the ground floor was most likely where the guards would be coming from.

She thought back to the plans of the buildings and an idea came to mind.

"Come on."

She practically carried his full weight down the hall to the staircase, already hearing the commotion of the guards as they neared her floor. As fast as she could, she began climbing the stairs. She met two guards, shot them both before they knew she was there.

"Woooooah that was soooo coooooool." He slurred.

It took her entirely too long to reach the top floor. She was met with three guards. The first two she took out easily. The third came at her swinging. She dropped Phil rather roughly and nailed the guy with a roundhouse kick, then used her momentum to ram his head into the wall, knocking him unconscious.

She turned, helped Phil back up, but he seemed to already be getting a little steadier on his feet. "My head." He squeezed his eyes shut, staggering a bit as he massaged his temples.

"I need you to stay with me, ok?" She steadied him, forcing him to focus and look at her. "Come on."

"What's going on?" He seemed to be getting some clarity back.

"We are going to jump to the next roof, okay?" He nodded slowly.

It was only a few feet across to the next building, where they could catch the fire escape on the other side. Still, with Phil out of it, she wondered if it was the best choice.

She didn't have time to dwell on it, because he suddenly took off, launching himself across the alley and landing, albeit not-so-gracefully, on the next roof over.

"Look! I made it!" He exclaimed, staggering around. She shook her head, but stiffened when she heard the footsteps of boots behind her.

It was now or never. She took a few steps back, then began her sprint, launching herself across the alley. For a moment, she was weightless. With no ground below her, she felt like she was falling.

And then she landed. Hard.

She had put so much force into her jump that when she landed, her feet slid out from under her and she almost went rolling off the roof. If it weren't for him grabbing her, she would have plummeted several stories.

"Did you just fall for me?" He joked helping her to her feet. And then his face fell. "Did I really just say that?"

"Come on." She groaned, tugging him forward across the roof. From there, it was almost too easy to get down the fire escape.

And then, there was only one other obstacle to get past.

With their plan compromised, their target had made sure their getaway car was...taken care of. When the two of them made it back to the alley, they found the car smoking, all tires flat.

"Damn." She hissed, taking out the two guards who were patrolling the alley. "We need another way out of here."

"Ouch." Phil rubbed his temples as he rounded the corner, eyes squeezed shut. When he opened them and saw the state of their car, he deflated. "What happened?"

"We just lost our ride." She sighed, tugging him back into safety. More guards would be coming, and soon. Especially since they had no way to get back their safehouse.

"Why don't we just take mine?"

For a moment, she thought he was joking. But when she turned and saw him dangling his keys innocently, she shook her head.

Voices echoed in the plaza. She grabbed his keys from his hand. "Come on. Now."

The hotel they had made their base of operations was only two blocks from the warehouse. He had parked Lola in the parking garage, which was easier to get to than the hotel itself. She assumed whatever leak that had given away their plans was inside that hotel.

He followed her back to the parking garage, protesting all the way that she took his keys and occasionally stopping so he could dry heave into the cement, an after effect of whatever chemical they had equipped in the building.

Although his head seemed to be clearing, he still felt nauseous and tired. As a result, when they got to the parking garage, she hesitated to return his keys.

"It's okay." He sighed reluctantly, leaning heavily against the car door. "Drive." He smirked when he saw her eyes widen. "I trust you." Suddenly, he doubled over and vomited the entire contents of his stomach onto the pavement. "And I am way too sick to even attempt that."

She nodded, still unsure, and the two of them hurriedly climbed into Lola.

As they pulled out of the parking garage, he looked at her with a dopey smile. "Just don't tell anybody, ok?"

And then he passed out cold.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Longer chapter as an apology for not updating. Hope this wasn't too choppy.


	45. Sick

A/N: wow….sorry for the hiatus there guys.

Back to Phillinda cuteness for this chapter.

Have to do the cliche _Person A gets sick and Person B takes care of them._

Takes place before Jemma left but after the season 1 finale.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Melinda May was very seldom groggy in the mornings.

Years of waking before the sun rose to complete her tai chi before returning to SHIELD duties gave her something of a peace when she first woke up.

So, being that she was usually in a decent mood, she should have known that something was wrong when she woke up with a foggy head and an aching in her muscles.

Sitting up slowly, she thought back to the previous night, but nothing in her memory served to explain why she felt so miserable.

May rose from the bed and padded her way to her bathroom to splash cold water on her face. No help there.

She brushed her teeth and then returned to her room to change into her work out clothes. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and the tightness of it helped her to focus just a bit as she left her room.

Tai Chi was...painful. Only a few moves in had the room spinning around her. She ended up just plopping on the floor, sitting there a moment.

 _I can't be sick._ She thought in disgust.

But there were chills running up her arms and a sheen of sweat building on her forehead. _Can I?_

The last time she had actually been sick….well it was probably when she was still married to Andrew.

But with all the stress of the months in the playground, days rebuilding SHIELD, hearing how many of her academy friends had turned to the dark side or had been killed...well it was no wonder she had worked herself into sickness.

 _Come on, May._ She tried to convince herself to stand, but the fogginess in her head blocked out any pep talks.

"How is my favorite S.O this mo-" Skye froze in her tracks as she entered the weight room."You look awful."

Melinda growled low under her breath. "I'm fine."

The bite was taken out of her words when she tried to stand and almost fell back down. Skye managed to grab her and steady her.

"May, you're burning up. You should go back to-"

"Skye, I'm fine." May interrupted. She made it a few steps over to her water bottle, breathing heavily all the while. Her nose was clogged.

"Don't make me call Coulson down here." Skye rested her hands on her hips, giving May a _don't-play-with-me_ smirk.

"Skye-" She chastised.

"May." The girl responded, mimicking her supervising officer's tone. "Go. To. Bed."

Realizing that her young agent wouldn't back down, Melinda shook her head.

 _If I didn't know any better, I'd say she got her stubbornness from me._

Melinda managed to make it to the door, but paused a moment. "I'm going to nap. Wake me in an hour."

From the huff of a laugh behind her, she know she probably shouldn't rely on her young protege. So, after climbing back into bed (after changing into her favorite pajamas), she set her alarm.

 _One hour. That would be long enough_.

 _One hour? Please_.

Skye shook her head as she wound her way through the base, heading up towards the kitchen. If she hurried, maybe the espresso machine would be free.

When she entered, there sat Coulson at the high top, nursing his first cup of coffee (of many, it seemed).

"Rough night?" She commented as she moved over to grab a mug.

"Got in late." He shrugged, taking a swig as though it were something much stronger. "Shouldn't you be training?"

"You're not the only one who had a rough night." She replied. He sat up, interest piqued and eyes filled with worry. "May is sick."

"Sick?" He frowned.

"I know, weird right?" Skye chuckled. "I didn't think that was possible. But, she almost passed out at training so I threatened to get you if she didn't go to bed."

"Ah." He sighed, frowning into his mug. Noticing the worry lines in his forehead, she smiled a bit to herself.

"I was gonna head down to medical and grab her some drugs." After filling her mug, she wrapped her hands around it and soaked in the warmth. "Maybe you can give them to her when she wakes up."

He seemed to relax a bit.

"Maybe I'll make tea." He finished the last of his coffee and sat his mug in the dishwasher. "Thanks, Skye." When he saw her confused expression, he continued. "For worrying about her. She doesn't have a lot of people who do."

Skye's eyes went wide, and she nodded haltingly.

Melinda woke not one hour later, but six. Her stomach rumbled, which seemed to be a good sign. But her head was still cloudy and her body felt like lead.

"Hey you."

She wasn't even startled that Phil was there. It wasn't at all surprising that Skye had told him. Her cheeks flushed, both from embarrassment of him worrying and the fever that hadn't broken.

"Hey." She croaked out, through a cotton filled mouth.

He moved from where he had been sitting in the corner, and brought to her bedside a small crate filled with a few different things.

"Here, some water." He placed a water bottle on her nightstand, within reach. "I also have some cold meds, a thermos with tea, Skye threw in a book for you if you get bored, some crackers-"

"Phil-" her voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Fitz and Mack passed along a few movies. Oh, and Jemma had some vapor rub laying around if you want. She said it sounds like just the flu but-"

"Phil." He finally stopped chattering when she reached up and grabbed his jacket, tugging ever-so-slightly. He looked at her with wide blue eyes, shifting from where he sat on the bed. "Thank you."

Coulson looked taken aback a moment, before his gaze turned kind.

"We just want you to feel better." He replied softly.

She nodded, not replying. Already, her eyelids were beginning to get heavy.

"I'll come check on you later. Get some sleep."

He leaned forward, and pressed a light kiss on her forehead. However, he froze when she looked up at him in surprise, hovering so close that her breath tickled his face.

She was so close, and so warm. He wanted nothing but to lean forward and-

"Phil." She stopped him with hand on his chest and he stiffened, afraid he had angered her. But she just smirked. "As much as I'd love to, Billy would kill me if I got you sick."

He tried to think of a witty response to hide the blush creeping up his neck. "Yeah, those Koenigs are something to fear."

Her eyes closed, she hummed in response.

"Feel better." He stood, resisting the urge to stay there with her as she slept.

She smiled just a little, and then gave into sleep, barely hearing him leave the room.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Sorry this took so long….adíos, ciao, auf wiedersehen, etc...


	46. Alone

A/N: hey guys! Because of my lack of any new ideas in the last few days, it's back to a Pinterest prompt for this one.

 _Use_ _these three things: Blue eyes and scars, wet cheeks, stained walls_

Set after the Academy. Angst ahead Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

In the ten years since Melinda May had first met Phil Coulson, she had never seen him cry.

He had come close, of course. When they lost their teammate to a rogue sniper in Prague, he had been distraught.

But he didn't cry in front of people. He was strong like that. But this time….something had shifted.

It was just past eleven in the morning when she got a phone call from Julianna Anderson, a secretary on the third floor where his desk was.

For some reason, he hadn't shown up to work. He was currently three hours late to their briefing.

They were supposed to be flying out in three days on assignment. This was chance to run through case files before they got there.

"What do you mean, he didn't show up?" Melinda practically spat into the phone.

She could practically hear Julianna scramble for words on the other end. A pang of guilt stabbed through her, and she resigned silently to being more approachable to the young secretary.

"He-he called in t-this morning. Something about a family emergency?"

"Thank you, Julianna." She murmured, and clicked off the call.

Family emergency? But….

Her eyes widened. She jolted up from her chair and began cramming her things back into her bag.

She must have cleared ninety miles an hour driving to his apartment. The entire while, her mind was turning with scenarios, as it often did.

Phil wasn't close with much of his family, that she had gathered from years of working side by side. She had met his mom once, but his father had died when he was a child. Any other relatives of his family had distanced themselves a long time ago.

Phil's mom, Julie, was quite the woman. She was kind, warm, always willing to cook for strangers. She had taken an immediate liking to Melinda, and checked in on her more than her own parents did.

Which is why, as she cleared the landing outside his door, she worried. Was it Julie?

She got her answer when she moved to knock on the door and heard glass shattering.

Fumbling with her keys, she found the key to his apartment and let herself in.

"Phil-" it was barely above a whisper, her attention not on him, but on the shattered glass littered around his kitchen. He stood there, staring wide-eyed at the glass on the floor, not moving a muscle.

"I-I dropped it." It was barely above a whisper. There were tears streaking down his cheeks. Just the sight gave her chills, and she felt hurt boil down to her bones.

"We'll clean it up." She quietly assured, stepping forward. The broom was in the pantry, across the sea of glass that now occupied the kitchen. Dark liquid, assumably whiskey or something of the like, slowly crept across the floor. Several droplets had splattered on to the wall, leaving what she was sure would be a nice stain.

Phil sputtered for words. "She's-she's gone." More tears trickled from his eyes. His blues were vibrant among his bloodshot whites.

"Oh Phil…." She sighed, dread filling her chest like lead.

He didn't say anything more, and she didn't expect him to. She leaned around the counter and began maneuvering around the glass field on tiptoes.

Her first instinct was to get him out of the kitchen. So, after carefully guiding him around, she managed to get him out of the kitchen and onto the couch.

She found the broom, and began trying to clean up the mess he had made. But, he hadn't shattered a glass, rather the whole bottle. After gathering the glass into the dust pan, she grabbed a grocery sack and put the glass in there.

"Shit…" she cursed as somehow, a shard of glass nicked the side of her hand. Judging by the blood stain on the counter, May wasn't the only one with that problem.

After tying the bag closed, she grabbed the first aid kit from his cabinet and moved into the living room.

He hadn't moved. In fact, he was just staring at the wall, jaw tense. His hand rested palm face up, blood shining in the low light.

Phil jerked back when she took his hand, but relaxed as she started cleaning his palm.

"You're hurt." He commented numbly, looking more like a child than an adult. She passively glanced at the cut on her hand, before shrugging and returning to his.

"We match."

He didn't reply.

When she finished, she sat back, looking up at him from her position on the floor.

"What happened?" Melinda said quietly, not really expecting him to reply.

"She's gone." He choked out.

"Julie?"

He nodded, sniffling back tears as they threatened to overflow. She climbed up from the floor and say next to him on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. May took his good hand in both of her small ones, shivering at the coldness of his fingers.

"They said that-they said she had been sick for a while. She never-" he broke off, shuddering. "She never told me."

Watching him, in his crumpled shirt from the night before and red-rimmed eyes, Melinda felt her heart break. Julie was the last tie to his home, his last close family. A genuinely good one that left too soon.

Of course, if she was anything like him, she hid her pain from others. He called her every week…..so how long had she known? How much had keeping it from him hurt her?

"What can I do?" Melinda asked him, fighting her own tears. Now was not the time to be crying. She had to be strong….for him.

He shook his head.

"No, Phil," She pulled his face so he was looking at her, "You are not doing this alone. Let me help."

He nodded, haltingly, seemingly about to break into tears once more. She pulled him forward into a hug, and he sobbed into her shoulder.

Melinda was not the one for comfort. She didn't have soft shoulders and her reaction to something sad was to be alone. She didn't cry in front of people, didn't show her anger.

Although she couldn't be the comfort that maybe he needed, she could be there for him. So, she rubbed the back of his neck, letting him cry until he had worn himself out. When he was too tired to keep his eyes open, she quietly moved out from under him and lay his head on the couch. She grabbed the blanket from his room and covered him, knowing his sleep would be fitfull but that he needed it.

And then, when he was asleep, she called Fury.

Two weeks off. Phil's bags were packed, plane tickets bought before he even woke up two hours later.

When he did stir, when he looked around in confusion at their duffels sitting by the front door, she smiled at him and said "It's going to be ok."

Phil Coulson was not one to ask for help if it wasn't absolutely necessary, Melinda knew that.

But she also knew there was no way in hell he was doing this alone.

OoOoOoO

A/N: Hope you enjoyed!


	47. Textbook Case of Anxiety

A/N: wow….it's been a bit since I posted a chapter, huh? Sorry about that.

If it makes any difference, I'm preparing for a three month trip.

Anyways, got this prompt off of Tumblr. Set during academy days. Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

He felt….light.

Of course, it could have just been how Phil's day was going so far.

The cafeteria had served his favorite dinner, the cute girl in his night lecture had asked him for coffee, and the report due at midnight had been pushed back a week. All was going right.

Of course, had Phil been thinking clearly, he would have assumed that when everything went great, something was bound to go wrong.

He had just sat his bag on the floor when he noticed it.

Not only did he feel lighter….he _was_ lighter.

"Shit shit shit." He combed through his bag, and that's when he realized that he had, in fact, left his textbook sitting on a desk in the library.

He collapsed into bed with a huff, feeling every fiber of him deflate.

It was Friday, and he had a test on Monday morning.

"No problem." He muttered to himself, sitting up again. "They'll take it to lost and found. I'll go get it in the mo-"

Nope. Lost and found was in the main library office, which was closed during the weekend.

He sighed, knowing full well that he was going to fail without his notes.

Hours later, he had a plan. His friend Aaron had agreed to meet with him and exchange notes at the cafe down the street. but the lightness he had had earlier in the day was gone, replaced with a feeling of anxiety that would no doubt follow him all weekend.

Monday morning came and Phil Coulson woke, feeling exhaustion flow through his veins. He hadn't slept, worrying himself nonstop through Saturday and Sunday.

Of course, Franklin, his study partner, had helped him out, and Aaron had given him a copy of the notes he needed, but Phil was still anxious to get to his textbook. He practically sprinted to the library, two hours before his class began, in hopes of regaining some sort of study time.

Hope fluttered in his chest when he made his way to the office, but that was quickly dashed when he spoke to the secretary.

"I'm sorry, hun." She said around a wad of gum. "No one has turned in a history textbook all month."

If screaming in the library were socially acceptable, he would have thrown a fit like an 80s teenager.

Instead, hands shaking by his sides, he left the office. He tried the desk where he had been, no luck.

Feeling hopeless and irritable, he left the library, head hanging in the early morning sun.

"God, what am I going to do now?" He muttered to himself.

He was so wrapped in his own thoughts that he barely registered a tap on his shoulder.

"What?" He turned with a glare.

All air was suddenly sucked out of his lungs at the appearance of not only the best agent in operations, but also the prettiest history textbook in the world.

"Uh-"

"You Phil Coulson?" She asked, hand on her hip, watching him expectantly.

"Uh-yeah." He sputtered out, obviously caught off guard.

"You left this in the library on Friday." She held out the book and he practically yanked it from her, feeling an enormous sense of peace once it was in his hands. "I tried to give it to you, but I couldn't catch up."

"Uh, thanks." He absentmindedly ran his hands over the cover. "And you are?"

"Melinda. May." She held out her hand and he shook it, just noticing for the first time how pretty she was. She cocked her head to the side, dark ponytail falling over one shoulder. "You're in communications?"

"Yeah. Yes." He stammered, feeling stupid for doing so. But the way she was smirking at him was making him flustered and _damn_ could brown eyes be _that_ beautiful?

"Anatomy, I'm assuming?" He frowned at her, and she clarified. "The class. You're in first level anatomy? In Halloway Hall?"

He nodded, but his eyebrows knitted together when she laughed outright.

"I was just there. There was a pipe leak on the second floor. All morning classes are cancelled."

For a moment, he was too absorbed in her laugh and the warmth it gave him to notice what she was saying.

"What-"

"Anyways," she raised her eyebrows at his predicament, trying hard _not_ to laugh her ass off, "have a good one."

She turned and walked the opposite direction, leaving him to stare open-mouthed at where she had just been standing.

Cancelled? It was….cancelled?

He could barely hear the thud of the book as it fell to the sidewalk, or the distant laugh of quite possibly the most stunning human he had ever seen. The blood was too loudly rushing in his ears.

"SHIT."

OoOoOoO

A/N: Remember to leave reviews/prompts


	48. New Years

A/N: Hey all! I am so sorry that I unintentionally went on a little hiatus. I have recently moved to a new country and things have been rocky.

Anyways, this is (loosely) based on a segment television show I saw not too long ago. I hope you enjoy!

OoOoOoO

 _Are you two dating?_

It wasn't the first time he had been asked that question, and it wasn't the first time he had to awkwardly come up with a response.

New Year's involved quite the list of parties on campus, but the biggest party of them all was held at a club called The Dipper, a rundown old building with pulsating lights and cheap alcohol that catered to a mostly-Academy population.

When Phil Coulson was invited to this invitation-only party, he originally wanted to decline. But Melinda asked if he'd accompany her so she didn't have to go alone, and he was hard pressed to say yes.

Melinda had been dragged away by her slightly-inebriated roommate, and so he was left alone to grab a drink and perch on a high top in a corner. That is when Michael Jacobs came over, sporting the most disgusting beer he could find and a shit-eating grin.

"I saw you came in with Melinda May." He scoffed. "You two a thing?"

"Nope." Phil replied dismissively. He took a sip, but almost choked when Michael replied.

"So you wouldn't mind if I asked her out?" Michael asked, mouth curling into a disgusting grin. Phil didn't need to read minds to know what Michael was thinking. It made his blood boil.

"Like she'd go out with you." He muttered under his breath as Michael walked away, suddenly not thirsty. He ditched his beer on the table and made his way over to Julie, Melinda's roommate, who was chatting loudly with a few girls at the bar.

"HEEEYYYY PHIIIIIL!" She cried happily, throwing her arm around his shoulder drunkenly. "HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

"Hey. Have you seen Melinda?" He asked her over the music, brow creasing in worry. He thought she would be here, but a quick survey of the floor came up empty.

"Yeah. She stepped outside a minute ago. Said she needed air." Another girl replied, throwing an apologetic glance at Julie.

Phil nodded in thanks and began the almost impossible task of weaving his way through the throngs of people. After clawing his way to the doors, he stumbled into the night air, inhaling sharply at the cold. But there was no sign of his friend anywhere outside.

Several other people had meandered out of the building, and he absentmindedly murmured hellos, slightly worried that his friend was off in a bad situation. It was foolish to worry, he knew. Melinda could handle herself, as proven by their many sparring sessions.

Still, something was off.

"Come on baby-"

He _heard_ that. Frowning, he glanced around, looking for the owner of that nasty voice. Victoriously, he found Michael, who had backed Melinda into the alley wall and was staring at her in a way that made Phil's skin crawl.

"Michael, I said no." She tried to push past him, but he grabbed her arm roughly as she did so.

"All I asked was to dance, you bitch!" He practically threw her against the wall.

"Michael," Phil stepped into the alley, not stopping as he neared the asshole currently threatening his best friend, "back _off."_ And he shoved him _hard_ , forcing him several feet back and giving Melinda room to breathe.

"Phil-" Melinda was warning him. She could handle her own fight, and he knew that. But something in him flicked on like a switch, and he wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of the guy.

"Aww," Michael sneered,"did the little guy get his feelings hurt?"

Phil's fist seemed to act of its own accord, the man himself not even realizing he had punched the guy until Michael's nose began bleeding. His fist ached from where it had made contact with bone, but he didn't dare tend to it now.

"Michael, back off." Melinda insisted, throwing him her nastiest of glares. She stepped in front of Phil, both keeping him from fighting anymore and keeping Michael from retaliating.

"Whatever, man." Michael shook his head, blood dribbling down his lips. "Fuckin' bitch."

He sauntered past them, leaving Phil and Melinda alone in the alley.

Phil turned to make a comment, but the hard sting of a slap blossoming across his cheek caught him off guard.

"Uh….you're welcome?" He questioned, touching his aching cheek tenderly with one hand.

"That was _stupid._ " She hissed at him. "I could have handled him."

"Melinda, I was just trying to help!" He insisted. She watched him a moment, with narrowed chocolate eyes, before sighing heavily.

"Is your hand okay?" She asked, gaze softening.

He glanced down at the bruises beginning to show across his knuckles, feeling the throbbing in each finger. "Hurts more than I thought it would."

She huffed out a laugh and gingerly took his hand in hers, peering down at the injury. "Come on. I'll get you some ice."

OoOoOoO

"He's such an asshole." Phil sighed, poking at the clear plastic bag of ice that rested haphazardly on his bruised knuckles.

"You should see him in operations." She replied dryly, setting a mug of hot chocolate in front of him on the table. They had returned to her apartment, where she had patched up his hand and promised him a hot chocolate in thanks for his bravery.

"Glad to know it wasn't just alcohol that made him a bad person." He watched the corners of her mouth curl up as she took a sip. "You know, he asked if you were single."

She turned her head to him, raising one eyebrow.

"But something about the way he asked just seemed off. So that's why I went looking for you."

"Well, thank you." She told him, returning to her mug. "Really. I'm sorry I slapped you."

He made to say something, but the loud thunder of fireworks began echoing outside. Phil stood, entranced, and sat his mug on the coffee table. She followed him with her eyes as he made his way to the glass door to her patio and pulled aside the blinds.

"It's beautiful." He sighed, leaning against the window to watch. Melinda stood, carrying her mug with her as she moved to the window.

"Hey Phil," She murmured, and he swiveled his head to look her in the eyes,"thank you."

And that was the first of many times Phil Coulson wanted to kiss Melinda May.


	49. To Be Missed

Her hands hesitate when she hears the door open.

It's quiet. Most agents have already left for home. Still, she sits, stapling papers and completing documents.

There's nothing for Melinda at home. Andrew is gone, and her tiny post-divorce apartment is presently less-than welcoming. She didn't even have much in the way of furniture, but shopping for that kind of thing only made her situation real and humiliating.

So she worked. She filed, she stapled, until the words ran fuzzy and she was forced to go home and crash, only to do it again the next day. It was a dull monotony that hadn't been broken…

Until tonight.

She recognizes him by his slightly-lopsided gait, his quiet shoes barely making a sound on the carpet. As he inches slower to her desk, she smells his favorite cologne, and knows before he even speaks what he will sarcastically say.

"Nice setup you've got here." Phil isn't at her desk yet. He leans against the wall of the cubicle behind her, glancing slyly over her shoulder.

She has mixed emotions about seeing him. On one hand, she's her own version of excited. After their years in ops, he was a comforting presence, a trusted ally, and a friend. He genuinely cared about her, about everyone. His heart was gold in a world of ash.

But on the other hand…..

He had been there in Bahrain. He had held her, let her cry until she was worn out. He had stopped by at least once a week to try and force her to eat something, and she had usually ignored him or had Andrew send him away.

The feelings of excitement and shame seemed at odds with one another, causing her stomach to roll.

Melinda let her papers that she had been working on drop to her desk, and she turned so she was glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Hello Phil."

She was surprised to find him dressed casually, or what was considered casual for him. No jacket and no tie, just slacks and a shirt. He looked beat, with circles under his eyes and a tired smile on his face. In one hand, he held a grocery bag which contained what smelled like Chinese food.

"I have been _trying_ to invite you to dinner, but you haven't been answering my calls." He sent her a pointed glare. "So, I brought dinner to you."

"Phil, you don't-"

"Mel-" he interrupted her protests by dropping the grocery bag on top of a stack of papers. She scrambled to get them out from under the bag while he ducked into the next cubicle to grab a chair.

She watched him, eyes narrowed, as he grabbed containers from the bag and set her usual order in front of her. As much as she wanted to protest, the smell was intoxicating. Her stomach rumbled, and Phil gave her a smug grin.

"It's seven o'clock on a Friday night. What are you still doing here?" He commented, opening a container of lo mein.

"Working." She grumbled. Reluctantly, she opened her noodles and realized just how ravenous she was. When had she eaten last?

"Melinda, this isn't healthy." He chastised.

"We all work ridiculous hours, Phil." She replied nonchalantly, ignoring the implication in his words. "Speaking of, you look beat."

"Thanks." He replied sarcastically. "Fury has me working on a project."

"Oh?" She raised one eyebrow, hoping that, by showing interest, she was deferring his questions.

"Yeah, top secret stuff." He shrugged, a mouthful of food. "But what is more important is that you've been avoiding me."

She sighed, knowing full well that he wasn't going to let up until they had this conversation. Melinda braced herself, hands shaking. He must have seen something-the sudden paleness of her face, the container shaking in her hands, because he sighed.

"Melinda," Phil took the container from her hands and set it on the desk, then took her cold hands in his, "it really did a number on you, huh?"

His words were quiet, not accusing or angry, just worried. She said nothing, and looked down to their intertwined hands. For the first time since Bahrain, her fingers began to thaw.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, and that's okay, but you can't shut me, or anyone else, out." Phil watched her face imploringly, cerulean blues searching for something on her face. "Working until after midnight, not speaking to anyone, that's not healthy."

"It's hard t-" She clenched her jaw trying not to cry because _dammit_ she had done enough of that in a short period of time.

"I know." He murmured when her words left her. "But you have me."

She let the smallest of smiles twitch at her lips as he squeezed her hands.

"I am heading to New York in a few days, but when I come back, I'll cook you dinner." He nodded, determined, and let her hands drop so he could finish his Chinese food.

They ate mostly in silence. When he got up to leave, he took her container and threw it back in the bag. And then he stopped, he looked at her for a moment, and a smile creeped up on his face.

"I miss you, Mel."

The tenderness in his voice surprised her. Melinda's eyes widened.

Just as he was nearing the door, she managed to reply "I miss you, too."

OoOoOoO

A/N: We meet again...

I think it goes without saying that I didn't mean to abandon this story. I was overseas for several months (in a country where AoS wasn't on netflix) and so my writing suffered as a result. BUT hopefully i'll be able to get back in the swing of things now that I am home.

Thanks for being patient, guys.


	50. Goodbyes

A/N: ….sup guys

Enjoy this AU of Melinda finding out Phil is dying because _why the hell not._ I love me some angst.

OoOoOoO

Her leg _hurt._ Like, far more than any injury she'd ever sustained.

May thought about sitting down, maybe throwing some ice on it, but decided against her better judgement. They would be gearing up to leave soon….she needed to be ready.

Instead she ventured down the halls of Zephyr One, retracing the halls of her second favorite air craft. The first, of course, would always be the bus.

She didn't pass many people on her walk. Only a few surface-dwellers actually stayed onboard the plane. Which, she assumed, is why there was a thin veil of dust on every surface. It swirled and caught in the low light as she moved deeper into the plane, feet carrying her down a familiar path of their own accord.

Her mind, however, wasn't on one track. She was so deep in thought that when she got to the bunks, it took her a second to realize where exactly she was. Hesitantly, she reached for the handle to the door of her own bunk.

The door stuck when she first pulled on the handle, and it took several attempts for her to pry the door open. As it clanged open, a swirl of dust mites rose up into the air. The room was deathly quiet. Without the engines running and no crew, it was almost….haunted. She hesitated to enter at all, but something in her gut drove her feet forward.

"Woah." She breathed.

Everything was _exactly_ like she left it….May had kept very few personal effects in her bunk. She hadn't spent much time in the Zephyr, but Coulson had pressed her to claim a room just in case. On one shelf, she kept a few books, and on the shelf above it, a framed photograph. She picked it up, wiping the dust with one hand and then brushing that hand on her pants.

Despite the dust and age, she could still see the photo clearly. It was taken at her middle school graduation, with both of her parents smiling by her side. They had divorced only four years later.

She smirked despite herself.

It was so quiet in that part of the plane that she heard him come before he even said anything. Her hands tensed on the photo, smile faltering from her face.

"It's funny," she murmured, more to herself than him, although he watched her expectantly. "It took going ninety years into the future to realize how much I miss them."

"Your parents?"

"Yeah." She nodded with a sigh and returned the photo to the shelf.

"I guess I got lucky." Phil entered slowly, cerulean blues skating over the whole room before landing on her. "Everyone I care about came with me."

Hearing him say that so innocently, it stirred something in her gut.

She turned to him with a frown, suddenly unsure of herself. "What happens if we don't make it back?"

"You're being fatalistic." He retorted and she shot him a look. He hesitated before continuing. "Whether we make it back or not, our lives will never be the same. At home, we are fugitives. Here, we are fugitives."

"At least back home we have Haig." She fired back at him in revenge.

"And clean air."

"Sunshine."

"Dogs."

She laughed lightly and for a moment, there was quiet. The way he was looking at her, like he had never seen anything more beautiful, made her breath hitch.

"It's been a while…since you've laughed, I mean." His voice went quiet.

They had talked when they left the framework, down in the hallways of the old base. Although they had agreed to take a step back, something had definitely shifted between them. Now, he looked at her like that all the time and she couldn't figure out why. For the millionth time, she wondered what happened that he wasn't telling her.

But now he was close, only a foot or so away, and her heart was pounding deep in her chest.

"Melinda, whether we make it back or not, I'm just glad you're here with me." He smiled at her in a way that turned her stomach, like he was saying goodbye.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Doing what?"

" _Looking_ at me like that." She said softly, smile gone from her face. "What are you not telling me?"

He watched the hurt formulate behind her eyes and knew that he had to tell her. He had to be honest with her. About everything. He leaned behind him and shut the door to her room, leaving them to talk in privacy.

But how to start that conversation? How could he possibly tell her that he had fallen absolutely and irrevocably in love with her only to find out she was a LMD, or that he had essentially offed himself to kill a homicidal murderbot? Nothing about their lives made sense, and it sure as hell hadn't made sense in the last few weeks when they were flung into the future. So what could he do?

Well, for starters….

He cleared the distance between them in two easy strides before she could move. Before she could say anything, he kissed her. Hard.

Phil had kissed her before on missions but this….this was entirely different. Those times, he held back. It had been nothing but professional.

This time it was different. It was like he was pouring very bit of his soul into it, pulling her close, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She didn't realize just how hard she had been gripping his jacket until he pulled away for air and rested his forehead against hers. For a moment, there was silence as they caught their breath.

Then, she noticed it, just on the inside of the collar of his shirt. Dark webbed lines just barely peeked over his unbuttoned top button.

"Phil, what the hell?"

"May-"

She pushed him away and stepped back, looking at him with a mixture of confusion and pain. It had clicked almost immediately.

"Ghost Rider."

As the words left her mouth, she pulled away from him, suddenly fighting back bile rising into her throat.

"Melinda-"

She turned away, putting her back to him, arms around herself as though trying to keep herself together. Phil watched her uneven breathing, waiting for her to say something. When it became clear that she wasn't ready to reply, he spoke up.

"Melinda, say something."

"What do I say?" She hissed in reply, her words biting. But her anger faded slightly when she turned around and saw the desperate look on his face. "Do they know?"

"No." His reply was a whisper.

"Are you going to _tell_ them?" She folded her arms across her chest.

He hesitated. "Eventually."

"Eventually? Phil, don't be stupid." She fired in reply. "They need to know. They'll notice at some point."

"I know."

"You know?" Her jaw tensed and she shook her head.

May was pissed, and Phil knew that. She had every right to be. This conversation was not how he wanted to tell her, but now that she knew, he felt infinitely better.

It almost reminded him of the alien writing. With her in the loop, he had someone to watch him, to help him when his health would inevitably decline. It was a scary thought, dying, but he wouldn't want anyone else by his side but her.

"Coulson!" There was a call from down the hallway, obviously Daisy looking for them.

Melinda braced herself, steeling her gaze, waiting for the arrival of her protégé as Phil opened the door to the bunk. Quickly, before she got to them, Melinda grabbed Phil by the shirt and buttoned the top button, hiding away his secret until they could talk more later.

"Hey." Daisy stopped just outside the room, frowning as her gaze flitted back and forth between her obviously-pissed-off S.O and the Director. "Everything ok?"

"Fine." Coulson feigned a smile. "Just talking."

"Okay," Daisy looked between the two of them, sensing something was off but not being able to place what. "We are ready when you guys are."

With one more cautious glance between them, she left the room and disappeared down the hallway. Almost as soon as she left, Melinda made to leave as well. Phil caught her arm before she could exit.

"Melinda," he implored,"I know you're mad. You have every right to be. But _please_ ….I need you."

Caught between pain and frustration, she fought for words for a moment. So instead, she nodded wordlessly.

He let her go and watched as she disappeared down the hallway.


	51. Settled Dust

A/N: Hey y'all-I know it's been a while but senior year is actual hell. But since writing has always made me feel better, I want to get back to it.

Anyways-why not start with some fluff. Set after the season 6 finale so if you haven't seen it, spoilers ahead.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Daisy paced.

It was something she did now…in her free time, before meals, when she was supposed to be sleeping. If she looked close enough, she could almost see divots in the floors, but she didn't stop. Back and forth, sometimes muttering to herself, sometimes just thinking things through.

It had been weeks. Three weeks, to be exact. She had been unintentionally counting the hours.

Coulson had returned, and to say that was awkward was an understatement. She wasn't sure how she felt, because she had not yet confronted it. Daisy and Coulson hadn't had a conversation since his semi-return from his…what…..second death? She had been cleverly avoiding the cronicom, falsely bearing the face of the only person she wanted nothing more than to talk to.

Mack had noticed. So had Yoyo. They had both approached her on two separate occasions to try and speak with her. She had only brushed them off with assurances that she was, in fact, okay and that no, she was not having a mental break down. Fitzsimmons had been surprisingly distant, but Jemma had made the attempt to at least start a conversation.

She was a little angry with Jemma, however.

May….May had been bedridden in the last three weeks. And Jemma had been very uptight about Daisy's visitation…in that she didn't let Daisy visit. At all.

"She needs rest and space. You can see her soon." Was a phrase that Daisy had heard so frequently that she sarcastically retorted it before her friend could.

But she was fed up.

It was close to two in the morning on day twenty-two, when Daisy had had enough. She quietly wrapped herself in a jacket and slippers, and padded her way out of her room. This base was smaller than the lighthouse, which meant the commute to the med bay was shorter. She was on edge the whole walk down, though. This base was far too quiet, and far too empty.

When she reached the med bay, she hesitated before moving into the only occupied room.

May was asleep. Of course she was, it was two in the morning. The steady rise and fall of her chest calmed Daisy, who had literally watched her mentor and only real mother figure 'die' in her arms. Her slightly-raised bed was free of tubes, the only wires on her body connecting to a steadily beating heart monitor.

Now that her anxiety was mostly-settled, Daisy considered returning to bed. But there was nothing there for her. Everyone had been on eggshells around her, treating her as though she was fragile or needed space. The almost-death of a close friend and the return of someone whose death she had finally begun to cope with could take its toll on anyone, but she didn't like being treated like that.

Knowing that May wouldn't treat her like a child made her draw nearer and sit in the chair next to her bed. Slowly, not wanting to wake her, Daisy took her cold hand in both of hers.

And woke her up. Damn the light sleeper.

"Daisy?" Melinda blinked a few times, and then frowned at her young protégé. "What time is it?"

"Two am." Daisy replied haltingly. "I tried not to wake you but-"

"Light sleeper." May scoffed, a small smile rising on her face.

"It's _really_ good to see you." Daisy sucked in a breath, for some reason feeling the need to cry. Maybe exhaustion and maybe anxiety, she didn't know, but she only squeezed May's hand tighter to keep the tears from spilling onto her cheeks.

"What is it?" When she saw the young girl shake her head, she sighed. "Daisy-"

"You died. And Coulson-" She stopped herself, because she didn't know if May had discovered their sentient-robot friend hiding out in the base.

"He's a weird robot?" Although there was a touch of humor in Melinda's voice, she looked to the ceiling as if steeling herself. "It's a lot."

"Everyone keeps treating me like I'm gonna break at any second and I have no one to talk to and-"

"Daisy, relax." Melinda squeezed her hand. "Everything is going to be fine."

She suddenly felt ridiculous, crying next to the woman who had taught her self-control, one who had been a rock through all of the weird crap they had gone through. But, the thought that she needed to maintain control of her emotions like May made her only tear up more, which only made her more frustrated. It was an endless loop that only made her tired.

"When is the last time you slept?"

Daisy hesitated. May smirked. "You need sleep, Daisy."

"Yeah." She replied hesitantly, not wanting to leave.

When Jemma walked in the next morning, intent on checking May's vitals, she found herself halting in the doorway, watching the slow rising and falling of the agents' chests as they slept. May was in her bed, as usual, but in a corner, Daisy slept on a small armchair. It was the first time she had slept through the night, and Jemma was reluctant to wake her.

It had been a long time since any of them had had any sort of peace, and it would probably be a while before things could be normal. Secrets would come to light, and courage would be tested.

She might as well let them sleep.

OoOoOoO

A/N: I wrote this after midnight when I was sleep deprived and pissed off...sorry about any mistakes


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